We have extensively discussed construction accidents in the New York area previously, but these accidents keep arising at alarming rates each day. Construction workers are seriously at risk if the proper precautions are not taken and if the site is not safe or abiding by city and state safety laws. On every corner of New York City, we see scaffolding and hard-hats working on enormous buildings, and as construction accident attorneys, we hope that they understand what needs to be done to stay safe and that they know their rights if something unfortunate were to happen.

On Tuesday, December 15, a construction worker was seriously injured when he was struck by falling construction material dropped by another worker at the site. The accident occurred in a four-story building that was undergoing renovation at West 86th Street and West End Avenue in New York City, in the midst of high rises and ongoing construction zones. The worker was on the second floor when he was struck in the face by construction material that fell from a floor being worked on above him. The New York City Department of Buildings investigated and issued a violation for failure to safeguard and a partial stop-work order for scaffold usage.

When a building is undergoing any sort of construction or renovation, the state requires that certain protections be put in place for the safety of all workers at the site. This is especially true when an object falls from a height. The New York State Labor Law requires that “contractors and owners and their agents, in the erection, demolition, repairing, altering, painting, cleaning or pointing of a building or structure shall furnish or erect, or cause to be furnished or erected for the performance of such labor, scaffolding, hoists, stays, ladders, slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, braces, irons, ropes, and other devices which shall be so constructed, placed and operated as to give proper protection to a person so employed.”

These rules are in place to protect workers from falling from a height, such as when working on a scaffold or ladder, and also apply when any object or material falls from above an injures a worker. Proper safeguards must be in place to prevent falling objects from striking workers on the job site, because this can result in serious injury and a hault to the work taking place.

Accidents resulting in serious injuries unfortunately occur on construction sites in New York practically every day. This often happens because the owners and contractors at the site do not follow the safety rules and regulations required by law. These safeguards can be timely, expensive and be more inefficient than avoiding them, but these are not excuses. The safety of those working should be the utmost priority. Examples of problematic construction equipement are defective scaffolds, lack of personal safety equipment such as harnesses and helmets, debris on construction sites, improper and unsafe tools and equipment, and unsecured loads. Taking the easy route around these problems and not cleaning up or enacting certain rules should be a thing of the past considering how many construction accidents occur each year that result in death or injury. These laws were made to protect carpenters, ironworkers, laborers, electricians, plumbers, masons and every type of trade that works on a construction site When the law is violated, the owner of the site and contractors responsible for the work may be held responsible. Therefore, it is very important that you know your rights and make sure you are working at a safe site and if you are not, demand that it takes the proper protocol to become safe.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a construction site accident, please call the lawyers at the Law Office of Richard M. Kenny today for a free consultation to speak about your options and next steps. Our firm has over a century of cumulative experience in analyzing, processing, and prosecuting these types of cases. Our $250 million in settlements and verdicts proves our expertise and success rate in this area. Call our office today to speak to experienced and compassionate attorneys who are here to work for you and on your behalf to make sure you get the best results from your construction accident case.