A worker was fatally injured in a New Jersey construction accident while working at an apartment complex near a Crowne Plaza hotel in Secaucus. According to ABC News, the accident occurred when the 34-year-old man was working in the basket of a boom lift that was about 45 feet up in the air. The base toppled over, throwing the worker from the basket. He landed in the street. The worker was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to the New York City Department of Buildings, there were 128 construction accidents in 2011 and 152 construction-related injuries. There are many hazards at worksites, which could lead to a variety of injury accidents involving falls, equipment malfunctions, electrocution, falling objects, etc.
Machinery malfunctions are a common cause of construction site accidents in New York City. A construction site typically uses heavy machinery and equipment such as cranes, forklifts and booms to do various jobs. In some cases accidents occur because of human error, but sometimes, defective machinery or equipment may also cause a serious injury or fatal accident.
Employers, in addition to maintaining a safe environment for their employees, must give them the necessary job training. They are also required to provide workers with safety equipment such as hard hats, harnesses, vests, gloves, and safety goggles – depending on the type of job they are performing. Employers must make sure an employee is properly trained on how to use all equipment and tools concerning his or her task. It is usually the employer’s and the building owner’s responsibility to make sure the building or site being worked on meets safety standards.
If a worker is injured in a construction accident, he can seek workers’ compensation benefits from his employer to cover damages such as medical expenses and lost wages. If a worker is killed on the job, then, his or her family can seek compensation from the employer. If a party other than the employer caused or contributed to the accident, then that individual or entity can be held liable by filing a third-party claim. Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, sub-contractors, property owners, and manufacturers of defective products, etc.
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. Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York in 2010. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). 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 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: ABC 27 News