Two workers were seriously injured recently in the collapse of a three-story, two-family home under construction in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. WNBC in New York reported that a truck was unloading cinderblocks when the plywood roof structure apparently collapsed.
A neighbor who witnessed the accident indicated that a worker was on top of the structure removing cinderblocks from a forklift. “We heard the rocket of the thing, splashing all the blocks down,” said the neighbor. “Apparently, the guy that was on top fell in.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Buildings said the collapse was the result of overload from the cinderblocks and other construction material on the roof.
Falls a Top Cause of Fatalities
Construction workers know that their jobs expose them to workplace hazards on a daily basis. In fact, data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the construction industry lags behind only the transportation industry in fatal workplace accidents. In one recent year, almost 20 percent of all workplace fatalities occurred in the construction industry.
Within the construction industry, falls consistently rank in the top three causes of fatal accidents. For 2011 alone, 251 of the 721 fatalities in the construction industry were the result of falls.
Construction workers who work on roofs are exposed to a heightened danger of a fall injury –particularly when the construction is new. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has enacted numerous fall prevention regulations that apply to workers who are exposed to heights while on the job. However, those safety regulations are not always followed, and that puts workers at risk for serious or even fatal injuries.
Your Right to Compensation
If you have been injured in a New York or New Jersey construction accident you could be entitled to third-party compensation instead of, or in addition to, workers’ compensation. All too often, workers’ compensation benefits fail to adequately compensate the victim of a construction accident.
The accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., can help you pursue your right to compensation. We have seven offices conveniently located in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. Contact the firm today by calling 888-446-2783 for your free consultation or fill out our online contact form.