Steep Rise Reported in Construction Accident Deaths in New York City

 The city Department of Buildings has reported a significant increase in deaths at work sites over the last fiscal year. According to a Capital New York report, construction accident injuries rose by 34 percent, from 211 in Fiscal Year 2014 to 283 in Fiscal Year (F.Y.) 2015, based on the agency’s statistics. There had been 187 injuries each year in F.Y. 2012 and 2013, 128 in F.Y. 2011 and 206 in 2010, the Mayor’s Management report states. Fatalities also nearly doubled in the past year from six to 11. There were four each year in F.Y. 2010 and 2011, seven in F.Y. 2012 and five the following year.

Dropping the Ball on Safety
Agency officials say they are cracking down on site managers to hold them accountable for safeguarding their work sites. The Department has vowed to pursue disciplinary actions and refer for criminal prosecution where necessary, especially when companies intentionally abuse the construction code and put workers in danger of serious injury or even death. A number of recent incidents in the city have shown a callous disregard for construction site safety.
Last month, a construction worker plunged 30 feet to his death down an elevator shaft on Ninth Avenue at a hotel construction site. In May, the family of another construction worker who died after falling 24 stories down an elevator shaft announced that they were suing companies involved in that project. After last month’s incident, the Department of Buildings issued a stop-work order and handed out two violations, one to the general contractor and another to the concrete safety manager for failing to provide a work logbook.
Increase in Construction Activity
This increase in injuries and fatalities comes at time when there is a significant construction boom in New York City. With the increase of construction activity, we tend to see a spike in injuries and fatalities at work sites. However, a rise in construction activity should not automatically result in a spike in injuries and deaths. Construction companies, general contactors and sub-contractors should put the safety of their workers first instead of attempting to cut corners.
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are four leading causes of fatalities in the construction industry – falls, electrocution, struck-by and caught-in or –between hazards. These are all preventable accidents. For example, in order to prevent falls, which are the leading cause of construction accident fatalities, building owners, managers and general contractors should provide workers with safety training and fall safety devices such as harnesses, nets and guardrails. Site supervisors can also prevent electrical hazards by scouting the area for live power lines before work commences.
Any time a worksite accident occurs, the investigation should look into who or what caused the accident. Did the worker receive sufficient job and safety training? Was he or she properly supervised? Did a dangerous or defective product cause the accident and resulting injuries? Were there any safety violations at the worksite? These are just some of the questions that must be asked and answered in order to determine precisely what occurred and why.
Compensation for Injured Workers
Injured workers face significant physical, emotional and financial strain in the aftermath of a construction accident. Many workers are unable to return to work for an extended period of time. They may need lengthy hospitalization, multiple surgeries and rehabilitative treatment in order to recover. They may have to pay many of these costs out of pocket. In some cases where catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma or amputations have occurred, workers may never be able to return to work or earn a livelihood. This type of a loss can devastate a victim’s family.
Workers injured on the job can seek workers’ compensation benefits from employers. In addition, workers may be able to file a third-party claim for significant money damages against a party other than the employer such as a general contractor, sub-contractor, building owner, manufacturer of a defective product, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in construction accidents can file for workers’ compensation death benefits and/or file a third-party claim, against a negligent party who is not their employer or co-employee.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: Capital New York