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Preventing “the fatal four”

On Behalf of | Jan 13, 2019 | Injuries

In the field of construction, accidents are quite common. Even with safety measures in place, the machinery and the job site itself create the possibility for dangerous situations.

Therefore, it is especially important for construction workers to take their own measures in limiting the opportunity for work accidents. By understanding “the fatal four,” or the four most common construction site injuries, companies and workers can better grasp the most effective means to keep them from happening.

1. Falls

By far, construction falls are the cause for the most fatalities on a work site. Whether it be from slipping on a wet surface, stepping in a hole, losing balance on shaky scaffolding or another event, falling can be dangerous. Proper safety training is essential, as well as having the right safety equipment, such as harnesses, nets and railings.

2. Struck-by accidents

If workers are careless or become distracted, or if a machine malfunctions, it is possible for objects to strike workers. Staying vigilant while operating and working around heavy machinery is key, as well as inspecting it for proper functionality.

3. Electrocution

Anytime that people work with electricity, they must handle it with care. For this reason, there are several safety and health standards in place, particularly regarding electricity. Also, as with any electrical item, it is best to shut it down or off when it is not in use.

4. Caught-between accidents

Similar to falls or objects striking workers, being caught between structures usually occurs due to human error or machine mishaps. To prevent it, wearing the proper gear, utilizing necessary safety equipment and staying vigilant are key.

Though these types of accidents are the most common, there are many other ways workers sustain injuries on construction sites. It is critical that workers not only stay abreast of the best safety measures, but also hold the employers and management responsible for creating a work environment that is compliant with the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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Verdicts &
Settlements

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settlement for a construction worker injured by falling metal mesh

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

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$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.

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$1.2 Million

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

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$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.

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$825,000

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

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$777,000

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$750,000

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

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$660,000

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

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$650,000

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

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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.

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$500,000

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

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$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.

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$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.

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$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.

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$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.

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$600,000

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

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$425,000

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

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$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.

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$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.

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$325,000

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

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$300,000

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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$250,000

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

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$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.

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$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.

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$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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