A construction worker has won a large settlement from New York City for injuries he suffered on the job in 2010. The man filed suit in 2010 against the city, the School Construction Authority and the Department of Education after his construction site accident, which occurred while he was working on a Brooklyn school.
The now 43-year-old man was disassembling scaffolding at a construction site at P.S. 89 when he fell off of the 20-foot structure. The man said that he suspected that the task was unsafe after a contractor with the School Construction Authority told him to dismantle the scaffolding. The man described falling head-first off of the structure and landing on debris below after unsecured planks gave way beneath him.
The man required operations both on his shoulder and his spine after the accident. He was unable to return to work. He filed suit for his injuries, loss of income and loss of consortium. The $6.3 million settlement will enable him to reunite with his oldest son, who has since lived with a relative.
People who are injured in construction site accidents do not only experience physical pain from their injuries. Severe accidents that cause permanent disability may also impair victims from providing for their families since they often cannot return to work. Personal injury attorneys may be able to offer injured workers advice on filing for compensation to help cover long term medical expenses.
Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “Sketches of court: After fall, construction employee seeks damages,” Alba Acevedo, March 24, 2014.
Source: GreekReporter.com, “Greek-American Construction Worker Gets $6.3M Settlement After Accident “, Anastasios Papapostolou, April 08, 2014
