The number of construction accidents in New York City continues to rise even after the Department of Buildings and other oversight agencies have vowed to increase inspections and worker harder to enforce existing safety regulations. The latest fatal construction accident in the New York Area happened late November when a man working at a job site fell into a hole and was killed.
The accident happened at a New Jersey job site just outside NYC on November 24th. EMTs were summoned by a 911 call at around 3:30 in the afternoon. When they arrived, they extricated the wounded worker and rushed them to a nearby hospital. The victim was later pronounced dead at the hospital. While there are few other details available at the time, OSHA reports show that the construction company for which the man worked has had no previous safety violations noted.
Falls (especially from heights and through platforms) are two of the most deadly construction accidents in The United States. In fact, they’re so common that a good deal of OSHA safety regulations have been written in an attempt to prevent them and make them less dangerous when they do occur. Specifically, these regulations often require safety barriers around fall hazards like open holes and pits; the use of fall arrest systems and harnesses, and even safety nets in case those other measures fail.
If you or a loved one has been injured at a construction site and those safety measures were not in place or partially in place, the general contractor and property owner can be held liable for the accident under the New York Labor Law and be responsible to pay the family the amount of money the worker would have contributed to his household over the course of his work -life expectancy, which in most cases is a substantial recovery.
Speak with an experienced construction accident attorney in New York City to get the help you need. Call The Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel, PLLC at 800-734-9338 or 212 -385-1122 for your free consultation today.