Official statistics confirm what workers in the New York City construction industry already know: The number of accidents and injuries on New York City construction sites is increasing at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, as the Daily News reported recently, this is occurring at a time when oversight of construction sites has reached an all-time low. The relationship between the two seems apparent.
The number of jobsite accidents in New York City jumped 31 percent, from 119 in fiscal year 2011 to 157 in 2012. During the same period the number of injuries rose 46 percent. In the New York metro area, including northern New Jersey and Long Island, construction fatalities jumped from 28 in 2010 to 40 in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Just last spring, a 69-year-old worker died of massive head trauma after a floor collapsed above the area where he was working and crashed down on top of him. Workers previously noticed a crack in the floor. The floor was “visibly sagging, in danger of collapse,” yet the danger was never reported to authorities, and nothing was done to protect the workers from inevitable injury.
Unbelievably, at a time when construction accidents are rising, the city has chosen to reduce oversight. The number of worksite inspections has been drastically cut – from 244,000 in fiscal 2009 to just over 141,000 in fiscal 2012, a decrease of 40 percent. Essentially, officials are depending on contractors to report their own safety violations or hazardous conditions. Considering the fact that construction companies’ profits are directly tied to the amount of work they finish each day, it should come as no surprise that these companies are not running to officials to report violations that would cause a stop work order to be issued. As expected, official records show that violation notices dropped by 6,600 from 2011 to 2012.
If you have been injured in a New York City construction accident, you could be entitled to third- party compensation in lieu of, or in addition to, workers’ compensation. All too often, workers’ compensation benefits fail to adequately compensate the victim of a construction accident. Given the fact that numerous companies are often working at the same site, there is a chance that someone other than your own employer may have contributed to your injuries. Contact the New York/New Jersey accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., to find out what legal options you may have. Call 888-446-2783 or fill out our online contact form for your free consultation.