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Top causes of construction accidents

On Behalf of | Feb 8, 2017 | Construction Accidents

Construction sites of all kinds can be dangerous places for workers. Over the past years, New York City has seen a rise in serious construction accidents. Due to the high risk inherent in this occupation, both federal and state authorities put in place safety regulations that are supposed to address the most frequent causes of accidents.

Falls

Falls are among the leading causes of serious injuries and fatalities. This type of accident can happen due to several causes. In some cases, workers do not use safety equipment like harnesses or helmets. This can happen because a worker is careless, because the workplace does not have enough equipment for everyone or because of high pressure and lack of supervision. When workers are put under extreme pressure to work quickly, they can feel that they simply do not have the luxury of taking a few minutes to put on the equipment or to make sure it is properly fastened. A lack of training can also contribute to the incidence of falls.

Inadequate safety equipment

Other issues that lead to falls include improperly built scaffolding. Workers have fallen because of gaps or lack of guardrails. Missing ladders and safety nets are also among the number of dangerous shortcuts.

Falling objects

Another common construction hazard is falling debris or equipment. This type of accident is more likely to occur in the absence of guardrails and other procedures for removing debris and moving equipment. Workers who do not wear helmets have a higher chance of suffering serious injury as a result of falling objects.

Moving machinery

Construction sites are full of heavy machinery and equipment. Accidents can happen when a worker gets in the way of machinery and the operator is not able to stop it in time. For this reason, it is important to make sure that backing-up warning signals are operational. Operators should also undergo safety training. Workers should remain aware that many types of machinery have blind spots and know how to avoid them.

While regulations and inspections can increase workplace safety in the construction industry, not all accidents can be avoided. In addition, many construction companies continue to violate regulations in spite of the risk of fines.

If you have been injured on a construction site, you can get compensation. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to file a lawsuit or obtain workers’ compensation, which may be available even if no one is at fault for the accident. Consult an experienced lawyer to find out what you are entitled to.

Archives

Verdicts &
Settlements

$3.75 Million

settlement for a construction worker injured by falling metal mesh

Verdicts & Settlements

$3.5 Million

Million for a carpenter injured on a construction site by a falling metal clamp

Verdicts & Settlements

$3 Million

for a 35 year old Carpenter injured when his arm became partially impaled on an improperly exposed metal support (rebar) at a construction site.

Verdicts & Settlements

$2 Million

for a woman who sustained multiple serious injuries after being struck by a hit and run driver in Manhattan.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.825 Million

Verdict for a 29 year old construction worker injured during the building of the World Trade Center Memorial.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.475 Million

for a Carpenter who was injured when the scaffold he was working upon collapsed.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.2 Million

for a 35 year old Cement and Concrete worker from Queens who sustained serious injuries to his back when he slipped on debris and refuse.

Verdicts & Settlements

$1.2 Million

for a Construction worker and young father in the Bronx who was fatally electrocuted while on a scaffold.

Verdicts & Settlements

$950,000

for two sisters in high school who sustained serious injuries when struck by a vehicle that mounted the sidewalk in Brooklyn as they waited for the bus to take them to school.

Verdicts & Settlements

$825,000

for a woman injured as a passenger in an accident involving a bus and a car in the Bronx.

Verdicts & Settlements

$777,000

for an Ironworker on Long Island who sustained serious injuries when he fell from a ladder which slid out from under him due to icy footing.

Verdicts & Settlements

$750,000

for a surgeon who sustained a broken knee in a motor vehicle accident (January, 2017).

Verdicts & Settlements

$750,000

for a man severely burned in his apartment by excessively hot shower water (Sept. 2020).

Verdicts & Settlements

$660,000

verdict for a 35 year old Cement and Concrete laborer who was injured when the scaffold he was walking upon collapsed.

Verdicts & Settlements

$650,000

for a cement and concrete worker who slipped and fell over construction debris.

Verdicts & Settlements

$650,000

for a Cement and Concrete worker who injured his back as a result of slipping upon a discarded pipe and falling down a flight of steps.

Verdicts & Settlements

$500,000

for a Nursing Home resident injured due to lack of proper care.

Verdicts & Settlements

$325,000

for a woman who sustained multiple serious injuries to her shoulder as a result of a trip and fall upon a defective sidewalk at a construction project in Manhattan.

Verdicts & Settlements

$250,000

verdict in the exact amount demanded by our office for our client, but refused by the responsible defendants, was awarded by the jury to our client who sustained a fractured elbow as a result of a fall upon a badly broken sidewalk.

Verdicts & Settlements

$325,000

for a young woman who sustained a fractured ankle as a result of a fall on soapy steps in her apartment building in the Bronx.

Verdicts & Settlements

$495,000

for a young mother who was struck by a car while crossing the street near her home in Queens sustaining serious injuries to her leg requiring the surgical placement of a metal plate and screws.

Verdicts & Settlements

$600,000

for a woman who sustained multiple injuries as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident.

Verdicts & Settlements

$425,000

was secured by our office for a Cement and Concrete worker injured when a work area collapsed beneath him.

Verdicts & Settlements

$400,000

for a woman struck from behind by a car as she walked to a supermarket in a shopping center parking lot in Yonkers.

Verdicts & Settlements

$200,000

for a young man, 15 years of age, who sustained a partial tear of the rotator cuff of his right shoulder, which has now healed without any limitation upon his activities.

Verdicts & Settlements

$325,000

for a school principal in the Bronx who tripped and fell over a construction plate in the school parking lot.

Verdicts & Settlements

$300,000

for a young Cement and Concrete worker who was struck by falling debris dislodged from a building by a swinging crane.

Verdicts & Settlements

$250,000

for a Cement and Concrete worker injured as a result of a fall at a Manhattan construction site.

Verdicts & Settlements

$300,000

for a school teacher in the Bronx who sustained an injury to her shoulder when she tripped and fell due to negligently placed computer wiring.

Verdicts & Settlements

$275,000

to a Construction laborer doing bridge work whose arm was fractured when falling construction material caused him to fall into the East River and onto debris.

Verdicts & Settlements

$450,000

for a child injured when a table fell on him in a laundromat in Queens.

Verdicts & Settlements

$450,000

verdict for a Volunteer Firefighter in Westchester who sustained injuries in the course of fighting a fire.

Verdicts & Settlements

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