New York Construction Accident & Safety News

Two workers were injured recently in Iowa when some scaffolding collapsed, InjuryBoard.com is reporting, making this the second incident recently in the same area regarding construction accidents. OSHA has very specific guidelines for general contractors to follow in regards to scaffolding on construction sites. InjuryBoard.com lays out some of the rules, as well as the specific codes.

- The wheels must be locked and rigid before climbing on the scaffolding.
- Persons using the scaffolding keep their center of gravity above the scaffolding.
- Scaffolding shall not be moved with someone on it.
- Scaffolding construction shall include all pins, braces and bolts.
- Planks and walk boards shall always be at least 36 inches below the top of the scaffolding.
- People shall not work below or in the fall-zone of the scaffolding.
-The steps on the side of the scaffolding shall be in a line.

For further reading, check out the specific post on InjuryBoard.com to have a look at the specific OSHA codes regarding scaffolding.

The New York Times reported on Nick Cianciotta’s close call with a glass panel falling from the 27th floor of a New York high-rise building. The continuous high-rise construction in Manhattan is started to be described as “close calls and luck.”

Around 10:30 a.m., Mr. Cianciotta, 58, realizing he had to feed his van’s parking meter, started walking toward it, and was about 100 feet away when he heard a loud crash. A large piece of a 4-by-8-foot panel of glass had fallen from a window on the 27th floor, hit an elevated sidewalk bridge below and smashed into his van. Shards of the 300-pound quarter-inch-thick panel sprayed as far as 100 feet away.

Apparently, falling window panels and other debris are common in the Manhattan area. So common in fact, that many people wonder how there hasn’t been a devastating accident yet.

In a city the size of New York, with the number ongoing construction projects, unsafe buildings are almost unavoidable. No matter how much you contemplate your safety, no matter how many precautions you take on these types of job sites, accidents can and will happen. When an accident occurs due to the negligence of the construction management company or the building management company, though, it becomes a matter for personal injury law.

An unsafe building accident can take many forms. Falling masonry, heavy equipment, unlicensed machinery operators all take their toll, just to name a few. These accidents may seem unavoidable, but if the proper safety procedures had been in place, the proper safety gear provided and the right safety training given, the accident would very likely not have occurred.

Every year in New York, thousands of construction workers are injured in an unsafe building accident. Whether it is on a new building construction project or renovating an older building, these accidents take their toll both in terms of lost pay through time out of work and an inordinate number of deaths.

If you have been injured in an unsafe building accident, or lost a loved one in a building accident, contacting a personal injury attorney or a wrongful death lawyer is the best option for you. While there is no longer a statute of limitations on wrongful death in New York, personal injury is another story. You have only 3 years to file a claim for this type of injury, so speed is of the essence.

What can you hope to gain from such a law suit, though? Many things can be done through legal channels. For starters, you can be compensated for your time out of work, your doctor’s bills and any pain and suffering you experienced. In addition, many courts will levy heavy restrictions, fines and other sanctions against the responsible company. Whether the responsible party is your contractor, the building management company or the property owner, these sanctions will help ensure that others are not harmed in the same manner.

If the injury resulted in death, a wrongful death lawsuit can help your family recover from the loss of a provider. New York law will take into account the amount of money your loved one would have brought in over the course of the rest of their life, the amount of money they stood to gain through raises and other benefits and compensate your family accordingly.

Finding a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer is the best way to begin the road towards compensation. Most personal injury law firms will not charge you any fees until your case is won. Once the case is won, they will receive a percentage of your winnings, usually around 15%. In addition, if you do not win your case for some reason, you will owe the law firm nothing. Do not allow your personal injury to go uncompensated; using a skilled law firm can help you get the money that you need.

For nearly a year, people in East Harlem complained that an empty building at 102 East 124th Street was falling apart. They were right. In November, the owner, a developer with big plans, was told by the Buildings Department to fix up an exterior wall. He did nothing. On Jan. 11, city inspectors said the building was unsafe, and ordered immediate repairs.

They came, they saw, they were ignored.

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Although DDC carefully stages construction activities to minimize disruption to people and businesses, the nature of sewer, highway, sidewalk, and water main work is such that some disruptions will occur. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of everyone who is temporarily inconvenienced by our infrastructure improvement projects.

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