One man was killed and another injured in a terrible construction accident in Manhattan on November 20th. The two men were part of a construction crew demolishing an older building in Midtown when the building collapsed on top of them, trapping them under tons of rubble. By the time crews were able to extract the two men, one man had already died.
26-year old Pedro Bacillo was pinned amidst the rubble on the first floor. He was crushed before crews could get to him and declared dead at the scene. 29-year old Kairo Garcia was also on the first floor when the building collapsed but miraculously escaped-injured but alive.
Fortuna Realty Group owns the construction site and was removing two buildings there with plans to build a new boutique hotel. At least one report shows that an engineer at the construction site warned of structural deficiencies and requested that work be stopped until the building could be shored up. Unfortunately, his warning went unheeded.
Construction accidents in New York often happen when property owners or construction general contractors do not either provide or enforce safety measures. While the Department of Buildings is still investigating this construction accident in Manhattan, it appears that proper safety precautions were not taken to safeguard the workers’ lives. When safety measures are not enforced or equipment not provided, the injured and families of deceased workers can invoke sections of the New York Labor law which were promulgated specifically to protect workers on construction sites. If there are found to be violations of the New York Labor Law, the property owner and the general contractor of the construction project can be held absolutely liable for the workers’ injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident in New York City, the injured worker may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost wages . Contact an expert construction accident attorney in New York City today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.