Data collected by the New York City Department of Buildings showed that construction accidents in New York City increased dramatically over the course of last year. In fact, the number of construction accidents within city limits jumped nearly 45%. Many safety advocates say that this increase is directly correlated to the number of undocumented and untrained workers who have found their way into the industry. However, still others blame construction companies for cutting corners in order to meet tight deadlines because of the construction boom in New York.
In 2014, there were 231 construction accidents in New York City (including fatalities). In 2015, that number climbed to 356. Nearly one worker every day is injured on a jobsite in New York City! When the data was broken down by region Manhattan was once again the most dangerous borough in which to work with a total of 221 accidents in just a little under 34 square miles, a 30% increase over the previous year.
Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler said in a statement prepared for the press that the vast majority of these construction accidents in New York were preventable. This increase has led the city to redouble enforcement of safety codes issuing a much higher number of citations for violations. In addition, the DOB has targeted contractors who “weren’t prioritizing safety.”
There’s a tremendous boom in the industry. The number of building permits issued within city limits increased by 18 percent in the past year leaving a finite number of construction companies trying to juggle multiple job sites and push a small pool of workers for faster results. As a result, safety advocates say, companies are skipping necessary steps to safeguard employees on those job sites and people are getting hurt.
If you or a loved one has been injured while working on a jobsite in New York for any reason, 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.