A 51-year-old man was killed in a falling objects accident in New York City earlier this month. The man was working on a scaffolding suspended high above the city streets at 311 East 50th Street, repairing the façade of the building, when the accident happened. Something went terribly wrong and a heavy coping stone from above fell and struck the man in the head. He was left bleeding from a massive head wound and hanging from the scaffolding. Horrified eye witnesses could only watch and wait while FDNY responders rushed to the scene.
While the man was alive and conscious when they arrived, he was motionless and silent by the time they finally pulled him inside the building and loaded him into a waiting ambulance. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at nearby New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Tragically, it was the crumbling mortar holding these decorative stones in place that the man was being paid to fix.
Shortly after, building inspectors arrived and assess the façade. They found the conditions to be unsafe for workers and issued citations.
Falling object accidents in New York City are one of the most common types of accidents at construction sites. The New York Labor Law mandates that safety devices be in place to protect workers and prevent these kinds of accidents. The Labor Law holds property owners and general contractors for the project absolutely liable if the accident was proximately cause by the failure to employ the required safety devices.
This type of accident-stones falling from facades while facades are being repaired-can not only endanger the lives of the men and women working to repair damage but pedestrians and motorist travelling below the work site as well.
If you’ve been struck by debris, tools, or other materials at a work site anywhere in the city, you need a qualified falling objects attorney in New York City to get the compensation you deserve. Contact the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 to discuss your case free-of-charge.