Mayor Takes Steps to Prevent Future Construction Accidents in New York

After the fatal crane accident in Manhattan that killed a passerby and injured three, Mayor Bill De Blasio and Buildings Department Commissioner Rick Chandler promised stricter regulations for construction companies in light of the recent construction accidents in New York City.

After several years of seeing rates of construction accidents in New York drop steadily, those numbers have dramatically increased since 2014. Many critics blame the construction boom in New York. They say that the few construction contractors are trying to keep up with tight deadlines and come in under budget. This has resulted in the perfect storm for fatal and near fatal construction accidents in New York. Some reasons are:

1. Companies are hiring large numbers of undocumented workers to fill their rosters
2. Safety regulations are being bypassed on a regular basis.
3. Corners are being cut to save time.
4. Companies are willing to absorb small to medium fines simply because it’s more cost effective than failing to hit a deadline.

In a bold move, the mayor’s office outlined a detailed multi-pronged plan to curb that trend. Under the new plan:

• Fines for serious safety lapses will quadruple from just $2,400 to $10,000
• Projects under 10 stories tall (responsible for 70% of construction accidents in New York in 2015) must now hire a construction superintendent regardless of whether it’s new construction or not
• The fine for failing to have a superintendent in charge will rise from a meager $5,000 to $25,000
• DOB inspectors will hit high-risk job sites more often than they do now

Injured construction workers and innocent passersby have legal recourse against a crane company, general contractor for the construction project and the property owner when a crane collapses and causes death or injury.

If you or a loved one has been injured on a jobsite in the city, contact an expert New York City construction accident attorney today. You could be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.