Legal Options for Help for Injured Construction Workers in NYC
For construction workers, especially those who work on skyscrapers in cities like New York City, the daily dangers of injury and death are very real. Common threats construction workers face include falling from heights, being struck with objects or equipment and explosions. While it is difficult to know how to proceed after a serious work accident, there are legal options to help injured construction workers recover or manage their pain and suffering, such as workers’ compensation benefits and personal injury compensation.
Recent Construction Accidents in NYC
One major construction initiative underway in New York City is at 4 World Trade Center, where there have been multiple mishaps already this year. A load of steel beams dropped 40 stories off the building earlier in the year and a 4-foot rod fell and hurt a teenager.
Most recently, a construction worker at the site impaled himself on a small steel rod he was carrying after falling 4 to 5 feet on the upper part of the 72-story tower. While the worker sustained a puncture wound to his side, he was lucky his injuries were not life-threatening.
This recent fall illustrates merely one type of construction fall that can cause injury – or even death – on a worksite. Some other common types of construction falls include:
- Falls from ladders
- Falls from roofs
- Falls from scaffolding
- Falls from utility poles
- Falls from man lifts and cranes
NYC Construction Accident Statistics
According to New York City Mayor Bloomberg, who announced the 2011 statistics on construction accidents in the city earlier this year, the numbers of accidents and injuries decreased by 18 percent, even though construction activity rose by eight percent. There were 128 construction accidents in 2011, where 152 people were injured. Five people were killed last year in construction-related incidents, which was a slight increase over 2010. While construction accidents continue to occur, people run the risk of injury and death.
It is important and necessary for injured construction workers to get the compensation they deserve to help heal and move on from their injuries. If you or your loved one has been injured or killed in a construction accident in New York City, contact a New York personal injury attorney with experience litigating construction accident cases as soon as possible.