A worker was injured in a construction accident after falling into a 15-foot hole at a Manhattan site. Officials say this is the first major workplace accident in 2023. According to an AMNY news report, FDNY made a dramatic rescue the morning of Jan. 3 at a job site on 200 East 20th Street and 3rd Avenue when the worker took a fall in pouring rain. Firefighters connected a series of pulleys and ropes to a department truck in an attempt to heave the victim out of the development’s pit.
The man was unconscious when he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Officials said the incident resulted from a fall from a concrete wall. Police reported that the man was conscious and alert later and was expected to survive. The nature and extent of his injuries is not known. Workers at the site were in the process of erecting a 19-story condo, according to the report. Our thoughts and prayers are with this injured worker and we wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Construction Fall Accidents
Falls are the most common types of accidents in the construction industry. Falls often result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. The injuries suffered in falls may range from bone fractures and internal organ damage to traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord trauma. Some of these injuries may result in long-term disabilities, which means workers may not be able to return to work or lose their capacity to earn a living.
Worksites are required under the law to have safety measures in place to prevent workers from falling off overhead platforms, elevated workstations or into holes or shafts. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of 4 feet in general industry workplaces, 5 feet in shipyards, 6 feet in the construction industry and 8 feet in long shoring operations.
In addition, fall protection must be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance. This type of personal protective equipment should be provided at no cost to workers. Construction workers should also receive proper job training, safety training and adequate supervision on the job.
New York Laws Protecting Construction Workers
Construction workers in New York are covered by Section 240 of the New York Labor Law, which charges construction companies, contractors and other parties with the responsibility of providing workers with proper fall protection while constructing, demolishing, remodeling or doing other types of work such as roofing on structures. This law imposes strict liability for accidents to the parties responsible for assigning and managing the work.
Any worker — whether a roofer, ironworker, steelworker, carpenter, electrician, painter, bricklayer or any other type of laborer — who suffers a fall can seek workers’ compensation benefits. In addition, he or she may be able to file a third-party lawsuit for substantial money damages against a number of at-fault 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.amny.com/news/rescue-manhattan-construction-worker-hole/