A scary construction accident in New York City last week could have been a lot worse. Work at a building site at 435 W. Street stopped unexpectedly around 2:30 PM when a worker fell through the floor two stories up. The man tumbled 25 feet to the ground below where he lay broken and battered.
When rescue crews arrived, the man was quickly stabilized and taken to a nearby hospital. Miraculously, none of his injuries appear to be life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery.
Eyewitnesses at the jobsite say the man simply stepped into a crevice in the floor and vanished.
The New York Labor Law requires that the owners or the company in charge of work at any jobsite in New York ensure that a safety barrier be put in place around any such hazards whether it’s on the floor of a building under construction or on scaffolding erected at the side of or inside the building. The barrier must be secure and must be at least 34 inches from the floor to keep workers from backing into it and falling over the edge.
Many times construction companies opt for cable and tarpaulin type barriers rather than erecting more permanent wooden or metal barriers. However, these temporary barriers can often come loose and become hazards themselves if they’re not inspected on a regular basis.
It’s unclear at the moment whether or not there was a proper safety barrier onsite before this latest construction accident in New York City but photographers investigating the accident snapped multiple pictures of a worker hastily securing at least one such barrier at the jobsite after the accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured at a construction site in New York City because of missing or inadequate safety measures, you could be legally entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and lost wages. Contact an expert New York City construction accident attorney at your earliest convenience to discuss your case. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.