A construction accident in Manhattan sent one worker to the hospital with severe injuries on the morning of Wednesday Jan. 27. The unnamed individual was part of a crew working on the remodel of a building in Chelsea when, at around 8:30 in the morning, he fell four stories down an unguarded elevator shaft at the jobsite.
This latest elevator accident in New York City could likely have been prevented through the use of proper safety procedures. Under DOB regulations and OSHA standards, fall hazards such as elevator shafts must be cordoned off and individuals working around such hazards are required to wear safety harnesses and, in certain cases, must use other fall-arrest equipment as well.
Investigators said in a statement to the press that the worker was not using any sort of safety harness at the time of the fall. Police reports show that he was impaled by three pieces of rebar when he landed at the bottom of the shaft. The man was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
This isn’t the first major safety infraction at the jobsite. According to DOB records there have been multiple violations and at least one civil penalty of $1,500 for failure to correct an “immediately hazardous violation.” Shockingly, the building site was also fined $1,000 in August for failure to safeguard the elevator shafts.
If the full investigation into this elevator accident in Manhattan reveals that proper safety procedures were not followed, the building owner or contractor in charge of the remodel could be held liable for the construction worker’s injuries.
A construction accident such as this can be devastating to a family’s finances with the lost time from work and unpaid medical expenses. If you or a family member has been injured at a jobsite in the city, contact an expert New York construction accident attorney immediately to safeguard your rights to compensation for pain and suffering, lost income and more. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 for expert guidance and legal representation.