Brooklyn Construction Workers Are At Great Risk of Getting Injured
Many people get injured on the job every year. The construction industry, however, is one of the most dangerous professions. People who work in construction have a much higher risk of becoming injured than nearly any other occupation. In New York City, including Brooklyn, construction workers make up 5% of those employed but constitute over 25% of people injured on the job. Construction workers in the five boroughs have fatality rates significantly higher than other workers in the city.
On any given day in New York City, there might be over 45,000 construction projects taking place. While these projects provide jobs, economic growth, and improvements to our infrastructure, they put hundreds of thousands of people at risk.
What happens when you or someone in your family is hurt or killed in a construction accident? Filing a worker’s compensation claim is often a necessary first step. Consulting with legal counsel is also an important step. At the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., we can help you understand your legal rights after a construction accident. We can determine if you are eligible to pursue remedies in a court of law or seek compensation outside of the worker’s compensation arena. Our goal is to ensure find out who is liable for your construction accident and see that you obtain the compensation that fairly represents the severity of your injuries.
What are the Most Common Serious Accidents that Occur in Construction?
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration refers to the most dangerous construction accidents as the Deadly Four. These accidents are the ones that result in the most fatalities on construction sites.
Falls: Falling accidents make up almost 40% of construction worker deaths. Many of these accidents take place from scaffolding or ladders. Some workers die falling down elevator shafts.
Electrocutions: Electrocution accidents frequently occur on construction sites. They result in some of the most serious injuries like amputations, burns, and often, death.
Crushing accidents: Crushing accidents on construction sites occur when workers get trapped between two pieces of machinery, walls, or building materials. Many pieces of heavy equipment, steel beams, and moving parts make this type of accident very common on a variety of construction sites.
Why is Construction Work in New York City Dangerous?
Construction is dangerous everywhere. The accidents and injuries that occur in New York are more frequently, partially due to the volume of projects, the close working quarters and taller projects than found in other cities. We have thousands of projects occurring simultaneously, and construction employs hundreds of thousands of workers in a relatively small region.
Consider some of the following conditions that put construction workers at risk:
- Working high above the ground, sometimes hundreds of stories up on roofs, windows, ledges
- Using dangerous equipment like nail guns, drills, and jackhammers
- Using or being surrounded by heavy machinery- machinery that weighs tons and carries even more.
- Working with electricity
- Working with chemicals
- Relying on and trusting third-parties to keep equipment safe and satisfy all safety standards (employers, vendors, co-workers, owners)
Holding Third Parties Liable for Your Construction Injuries
When you get on the job, the only compensation you can likely receive from your employer will be through workers’ compensation coverage. This money can cover your actual expenses like medical bills and a portion of your wages.
By contacting experienced construction lawyers, however, you may learn that you can file a lawsuit against a third-party (non-employer) who was negligent and contributed to or caused your accident and injuries. If a family member had a fatal accident, you might be able to file a wrongful death claim against someone. If you are the one suffering the injuries, you might be able to file a negligence claim or product liability claim.
Are you wondering who might be responsible for your construction accident? If so, call the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C. We can investigate to find out if someone other than your employer can be held liable for your construction accident. Consider the following scenarios where a third party might be liable:
You fell from scaffolding because a wire or rope broke: Was the cable defective? Was the line attached correctly? Was a safety regulation ignored when the rope was attached?
You were crushed when your co-worker drove a piece of heavy equipment into you: Did the brakes work properly? Were they installed properly? Was the machine inspected? Was the co-worker trained to drive this equipment?
In both of these situations, someone may be liable other than the employer. For example, if the brakes or the ropes were designed defectively, the manufacturer of those parts may be responsible for your injuries. If the maintenance company or vendor failed to inspect the equipment according to federal safety regulations and that failure somehow contributed to your accident, that party might be liable. If the property owner somehow created conditions that lead to the heavy equipment being unsafe to drive, the owner may be responsible.
Of course, every construction has different facts and circumstances that require analysis to determine where the blame lies. For the victims, speaking with an experienced lawyer is crucial to making this determination.
Contact Brooklyn Construction Accident Lawyers to Learn More About Protecting Your Legal Rights
If you or someone you love was hurt in a construction accident, you are not alone. Unfortunately, thousands of people are injured on construction sites every year. These injuries result in lost wages, lost future earnings, pain, medical treatment, and bills. Workers’ compensation can help but won’t cover everything.
Speak to our construction accident lawyers at the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, P.C., and find out how we can help you collect the maximum compensation the laws allow. Call us today at (800) 560-0214 for a free case evaluation.
