Rescue workers responded to a call concerning a fall from scaffolding in New York City on Wednesday, April 2 but arrived too late to save the life of a 40-year old man. The incident occurred at roughly 2PM at the Dream Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The individual was working on a four-story scaffolding extending up to the building’s eighth floor. The cause of the fall isn’t clear but the construction worker fell four stories to a landing that circles the entire building.
The man was taken to Weil Cornell Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Officials comment on the circumstances of the construction accident other than to say that it was indeed an accident.
The New York City Department of buildings was called in to investigate but has yet to release a report. Investigators will likely be looking at the adequacy of the safety precautions taken at the jobsite including: presence (or absence) of warning signage, height and stability of safety railings, availability of safety harnesses and fall arrest devices, and the condition of the work surface on which the man was when he fell.
Falls from scaffolding and other raised platforms and work surfaces are one of the leading causes of construction accidents in New York City and accounted for roughly 36% of all construction related fatalities in 2012. While OSHA regulations have been enacted to lower the number and severity of such accidents, these type of accidents occur with too much regularity.
Even falls from relatively low heights can have lifelong consequences. If you or a loved one has been injured in a fall from scaffolding in New York, in order to help you get your life back on track financially, speak with a qualified construction accident attorney today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.