Understanding the Danger of Sidewalk Sheds in New York City

A recent article in the New York World talks about the hazards posed by sidewalk sheds in New York City. It gives the example of one man who was struck by debris as he walked under a sidewalk shed in the East Village in May 2012. A few months after that incident, a 4-year-old girl suffered a serious electrical shock after she touched a sidewalk shed carrying live electrical voltage in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The injured man and the family of the child have filed personal injury lawsuits.

Lack of Oversight and Enforcement
These sidewalk sheds have become a fixture in the city with the number of permits for them doubling since 1998 to nearly 10,000. The city requires that the sheds be built whenever construction, remodeling or demolition is taking place. Several private contractors specialize in building these structures. But the New York World’s investigation has found that the city’s efforts to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these structures have been poor.
The report points to a number of key issues. The Bloomberg administration created a special Scaffold Safety Team in 2007 to monitor scaffolds and sidewalk sheds. But staffing levels have dropped in that team from 17 inspectors in 2008 to nine in 2013. The number of violations issued for faulty sheds has dropped too – from 855 in 2009 to 337 in 2013. Also, since January 2011, at least 39 pedestrians and construction workers have been injured in accidents involving sidewalk sheds. The World found that shed collapse usually occurred during the construction or removal of the shed as a result of falling construction debris or from high winds.
Compensation for Injured Victims
It is unfortunate that pedestrians in New York City are paying the price for the negligence of contractors or sub-contractors who have the responsibility to construct these sidewalk sheds. Faulty construction of these sheds can result in serious injuries. Passersby are at risk of being struck by debris from the construction sites or suffering electrical injuries, as the child did in Brooklyn. Injured victims of sidewalk shed accidents can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, please contact the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm who can help you better understand your legal rights and options. 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: The New York World