Construction Accident Lawyer in New York City
A construction accident can cause devastating injuries to workers and pedestrians around the area. Construction has increased in New York City due to an influx of people that want residential properties. As there is an increase of people there will also be an increase in local businesses that require commercial properties. With a highly populated city like New York, coupled with an increase in construction sites, this can lead to many catastrophic accidents. Objects commonly fall from heights from scaffolds or roofs of buildings that construction workers are on. If you find yourself at a construction site accident, there are some important steps to take to make sure that you have the best case possible. You must seek immediate medical attention and go to a hospital. There are certain times that an injury can cause your body to produce adrenaline, in which you will not feel the pain immediately. Gather any witness testimony from the scene of the accident. If you have a witness on your side, it will help with your defense.
Taking photos of the scene of the accident are key components to your case as well. You should take photos of your injuries and any contributing factors that lead to the injuries that you sustained. Do not forget to collect an injury report form your employer and from the police. There were roughly, 287 injuries and 5 deaths across all the boroughs in NYC. The unfortunate part of construction is that many of the injuries sustained are serious, life-altering injuries. The number of fatalities or injuries at New York City construction sites saw a big jump in 2014 when compared to 2013. A health construction industry comes at a high cost in New York City. If construction accidents are to be avoided, it is important to understand to understand the reasons why NYC construction accidents are rising. Construction is the most dangerous job in New York City. Men, especially are affected by this particular job choice and make up 90% of the city’s work-related deaths. Construction site injuries jumped in 2017. The number of fatalities has doubled and continued into the following year. 761 of the city’s construction workers had died in various sites across the city. Construction site falls are the leading cause of injury and account for 40% of all construction site injuries.
A fall is not surprising because workers are constantly working at heights and operating heavy machinery while on site. Workers need to be trained properly and given the correct safety equipment. Falling objects as stated, account for about 8% of construction-related accidents. A small object falling from great heights, will pick up a lot of momentum and can have damaging effects if you are struck with it. Electrocution is a problem and accounts for about 7% of all construction accidents. For example, unsafe wiring can lead to someone being electrocuted, and these injuries can lead to a burn. 5 of all construction related accidents are when workers are caught in between machinery or objects. These accidents encompass workers getting caught in between two heavy objects or two heavy pieces of machinery and cannot breathe or is crushed. Hire a top Construction Accident Lawyer in New York City to pursue the appropriate compensation that you deserve.
Local law 196 makes sure that there is an enforcement of maintaining a safe construction site environment. This law increased fines for construction sites environment. This law increased fines for construction site safety violations and requires additional supervisors on construction sites. 150 inspectors were added to ensure sites are following safety regulations. There is also a mandate for extra training of 40 hours for all workers. Back in 2019, the building deputy commissioner of enforcement said that of the 45,000 construction sites in NYC, nearly 25% are not compliant. There has been some progress that has been made, but more needs to be done.