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Ney York scaffold laws and construction accidents

On Behalf of | Aug 27, 2017 | Blog

Falls from a height and falling objects number among the more common types of construction accidents. They also bear the risk of very serious injury and even death.

New York State’s scaffolding laws, codified in Labor Law Section 240, aim to set up safeguards to protect construction workers from dangerous conditions that might lead to falls.

Violation may lead to liability in injury cases

The laws set forth requirements for fall protection procedure and equipment, weight-bearing capacity for scaffolds, placement of safety rails and openings and other specific instructions designed to make working on scaffolding safer. However, what makes New York’s protection unique is that the law imposes strict liability on a defendant who violated its provisions. Strict liability means that, unlike in most personal injury cases, a worker who gets injured under the purview of this law does not have to prove negligence.

Typically, an injured person pursuing a lawsuit must prove the defendant acted negligently and thus caused the injury. A typical defense in such cases is that the injured person caused their own injury. In construction cases, the defendant may accuse the worker of failing to follow procedure or otherwise acting carelessly.

No need to prove negligence

In a strict liability case under the scaffold law, the legal approach differs. If the law covered the type of construction project in question, the owner failed to follow the law’s safety requirements and a worker was injured in the kind of accident the law was designed to prevent, the law says the owner is liable.

The law thus eliminates arguments about whether one or both parties were negligent and whose negligence actually caused the injury. This is important due to practical considerations. The truth is that, while defendants in construction cases can be quick to point an accusatory finger at a worker’s carelessness, they themselves are often to blame for a work environment that encourages shortcuts.

You may have a better case than you think

If you or a loved one sustained a workplace accident, speaking with an experienced attorney can tell you more about your options. Do not make the mistake of assuming you do not have a case because you fear you may have contributed to the accident in some way.

 

Archives

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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