A report compiled by Crain’s New York Business shows that the number of construction accidents in New York City was the highest in 2018 that it’s been in recent years. The number of workers hurt on construction jobsites climbed to a post-recession record attributable to the building boom going on in NYC. Although the report stopped counting in October (publishing schedule), the number of accidents and injuries recorded had already outpaced those recorded during all of 2017.
The report notes that since 2014, the number of workers seriously hurt in construction accidents in New York has increased every year. DOB show that the number of construction accidents reported in NYC in 2018 represents 1.5% of the total number of all employment related accidents.
The increasing numbers represented a crisis for the DOB, which recognized it needed more resources to inspect all the jobsites in the city. The agency has hired more than 150 additional inspectors.
Safety advocates say that part of the problem is the lack of mandatory safety training for construction workers. While NYC passed legislation mandating at least 40 hours of safety training (effective in 2020), the city pushed back the first phase of the increased training until June of 2019. Currently, workers are only required to have 30 hours of training.
The increase in construction accidents in New York is directly related to maintaining a safe jobsite, which under the New York Labor Law ultimately falls on the shoulders of the general contractor in charge of the jobsite and the property owner. If they fail to provide specific safety equipment or do not follow the guidelines set forth in the industrial code, they will be held financially liable to the injured worker for pain and suffering, unpaid medical expenses, and lost wages, from the time of the accident into the future.
If you or a loved one has been injured at an unsafe jobsite, contact an experienced construction accident lawyer in New York City today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for a free consultation.