A Bronx worksite where three workers suffered burn injuries the morning of May 15 has a troubling pattern of safety violations, CBS New York reports. The city issued more than 25 violations at this property over the last year of which 12 are still open and unresolved. All relate to construction safety concerns, CBS reports. Five new violations issued last week after the fire include failure to show proof of proper training and failure to provide the proper permit for using a propane torch at the worksite.
Construction Safety Violations
Officials said three people were working with waterproofing material when it caught fire and burned them. The victims were transported to a hospital for treatment. The fire prompted a massive FDNY response near Holland Avenue and East Gun Hill Road. The city has now issued a partial stop-work order at the site. CBS2 reported that this is not the first time this has happened.
Last July, the city said the general contractor “unlawfully continued work while on notice of a stop-work order.” The city also ordered workers to stop working in an elevator machine room in April after inspectors found a “failure to maintain safety equipment.” They also cited the company for “failure to ensure each worker has successfully completed the required training.”
The Department of Buildings said the workers who were injured in the construction site accident worked for a different company. The workers injured in the fire are expected to survive. Our thoughts and prayers are with the workers and their families.
Construction Burn Injuries
According to the American Burn Association, about 486,000 people nationwide suffer burn injuries that require medical treatment. Construction workers routinely operate heavy machinery and equipment, and also frequently work with flammable chemicals and liquids. Workers are often at a high risk of burn injuries that occur as a result of fires and explosions. Some of the most common causes of burn injuries at construction sites include:
• Electrical accidents
• Exposure to flammable chemicals
• Gas line explosion
• Welding accidents
• Exposure to hot surfaces
• Malfunctioning tools and equipment
A majority of construction burn injuries can have long-term impact on workers’ lives and their financial security. Understanding the severity of your injuries can be a critical step in making sure you receive fair and full compensation for all your losses.
Victims of construction fires will benefit by consulting with an experienced New York City construction accident lawyer who has a proven track record of handling such cases.
Construction Accident Lawsuits
Workers injured in construction accidents can bring civil actions against the construction company, contractor and property owner/manager, etc. responsible for the safety of the job site. Construction accident injuries can be debilitating and sometimes, even catastrophic or fatal. A construction accident victim can seek workers’ compensation benefits from his or her employer. In addition, workers and their families may be able to file a third-party lawsuit for substantial money damages against a number of parties, and thus have two sources of compensation.
Third-party claims are filed against parties other than the employer or co-employees and may include general contractors, sub-contractors, building owners, managing agents, construction companies, etc. In cases where a worker dies from injuries suffered on the job, surviving family members may seek death benefits through workers’ compensation and/or file a wrongful death claim against a third party.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you have suffered injuries in a construction-related 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, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
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. Our law firm also recovered $3,000,000 for a man who fell and suffered two broken legs when he walked into an open elevator shaft. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, 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: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/bronx-construction-site-fire-safety-violations-mark-stagg-be-bronx-builders-llc/