Three workers suffered electrical injuries at a Brooklyn construction site. According to a news report in the New York Daily News, the construction accident occurred at a worksite on the corner of Clarkson Avenue and Rogers Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. Officials with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) said the source of the burn injuries was an electrical arc and that three workers were taken to a burn unit.
A neighbor in the area told the Daily News that he saw smoke inside the building through the big glass windows, and added that it was on the fourth floor. The Daily News reports that the project has previously been investigated by city building officials due to safety complaints dating back to February 2022. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured construction workers and we wish them the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Electrical Injuries
Electrocution refers to injury or death that occurs when an individual is exposed to lethal amounts of electrical energy. It is also one of the most common causes of fatal construction accidents. Electricity flows through conductors such as wires and power lines to create a path or complete a circuit. The human body can also act like a conductor when it comes into accidental contact with exposed electrical wires or damaged equipment. Workers at construction sites must be given adequate job and safety training in a language they can understand to avoid these types of hazards.
Electrical burns are the most common shock-related nonfatal injury and often tend to occur because of negligence (carelessness). Although such burns can affect any part of the body, they happen mostly on the hands and feet. The shock that a victim experiences due to electrocution is a reflex response and can include trauma, abnormal heart rhythm and unconsciousness. The severity of an electrical shock depends on three factors:
• The path of the current through the body
• The amount of current flowing through the body
• The length of time the body is in the circuit
It is the responsibility of construction companies, contractors and supervisors to ensure that workers maintain a safe distance and be aware of the location of power lines so there is no accidental contact with heavy equipment, ladders, lifts, etc. If equipment such as cranes must be operated near power lines, the utility company must be contacted to de-energize and ground the lines. When working around power lines, nonconductive tools and equipment must be used and the storing of materials near power lines must be avoided, according to OSHA guidelines.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Workers who are injured in construction accidents may be able to seek workers’ compensation benefits, which typically cover medical and drug expenses and a portion of lost wages. 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.
If you have suffered injuries in a construction-related accident or as a result of hazards at a construction site, 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. For over 51 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims.
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.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/three-electrocuted-brooklyn-20230811-nvouy4cer5evnhjej3s53yfzga-story.html