Just days after a vigil held to remember workers killed in fatal construction accidents in New York City another young man lost his life on an unsafe jobsite in Greenwich Village. 37-year old Louis Mata was killed in a tragic scaffolding accident in New York City. At the end of his work day, a plank broke free from scaffolding erected overhead and plummeted down, striking Mr. Mata in the head. He was found lying on the ground unconscious with severe head and neck trauma. Rescue crews rushed him to a nearby health facility but he never regained consciousness.
Scaffolding accidents in New York City are some of the deadliest in the construction industry. In fact OSHA has named falling object accidents among “The Fatal Five” (types of accidents responsible for more deaths on job sites than any others). This New York City scaffolding accident may have been completely preventable.
The jobsite in question has had multiple safety violations in the past, including at least one stop work order issued because of unsafe scaffolding. Safety regulations are put in place to protect construction workers and when they are ignored bad things happen to good people. The DOB was on the jobsite immediately after this latest fatal scaffolding accident in New York to issue yet another stop work order.
Specific sections of the New York Labor Law can be invoked to hold the property owner and general contractor for the project financially responsible. These laws hold the property owner and general contractor completely responsible even if the injured worker partially contributed to the accident. Mr. Mata’s family could file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek financial compensation for unpaid medical expenses, funeral expenses, lost financial support and pain and suffering for time the Mr. Mata survived after the accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a falling object on a jobsite, contact an expert New York City scaffolding accident attorney today. Call The Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at or 212-385-1122 for a free consultation to learn your rights.