Two workers were injured at separate construction site accidents on Feb. 19, including one worker who fell into a 10-foot hole. According to a PIX11 news report, emergency personnel pulled the worker out of the hole at the site at 150 Lawrence Street near Willoughby and Fulton streets. The worker was rushed to a hospital in unknown condition. Several firefighters were seen strapping the man onto a stretcher and pulling it up a ladder to get to street level, PIX11 reported.
Hours before that incident, authorities found an unconscious worker at a construction site at 380 Fourth Avenue in Park Slope. That worker was also transported to a hospital for treatment. No further information was available about the cause of these worksite accidents or the condition of the injured. We wish them both the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Construction Site Falls
Construction sites pose numerous hazards to workers, and falls through holes are among the leading causes of construction-related accidents. These holes may include elevator shafts, stairwells, or openings in floors. Such incidents can result in severe injuries or even fatalities, making prevention strategies critical.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established stringent regulations to address fall hazards in construction. These regulations require employers and others to implement various safety measures to protect workers from falls through holes. Floor openings must be securely covered or guarded to prevent accidental falls. Additionally, workers must be provided with proper training on hazard recognition and fall prevention techniques.
OSHA also recommends the use of guardrails, toe-boards, or covers to protect workers from fall hazards. Regular inspections of the construction site are also crucial to identify and address potential risks. Proper communication and coordination must be facilitated among workers to ensure everyone is aware of the location of floor openings and the necessary safety precautions to be taken.
Construction falls can result in a number of major injuries. One common type of fall injury is fractures, which can occur in the arms, legs, hips, or spine when a worker falls from a height. Head injuries are also prevalent and can range from concussions to traumatic brain injuries, depending on the force of the impact. Spinal cord injuries are another serious consequence of falls, often leading to paralysis or other neurological impairments. Soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, and contusions can happen from the sudden impact or awkward landing during a fall. Additionally, internal injuries like organ damage or internal bleeding may occur, particularly in high-impact falls. Often, such falls also result in death.
Compensation for Injured Workers
Workers who have been injured in such accidents may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, which covers medical expenses and a portion of lost wages. In addition, workers may also be able to file a third-party claim against a negligent (careless) party other than the employer or co-employees for significant monetary damages and have two sources of compensation available for their losses.
Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, crane operators, construction companies, sub-contractors, building owners, managing agents 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 who may be held liable for the fatal incident.
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, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
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
Source: https://pix11.com/news/local-news/brooklyn/worker-injured-after-falling-down-a-hole-at-brooklyn-construction-site-fdny/