The New York City Department of Buildings plays a critical role in overseeing construction throughout the city. Not only does the department inspect construction sites and enforce building codes but it also responds to complaints and works to prevent construction-related injuries and fatalities. In essence, the DOB performs much of the same functions that its federal counterpart, OSHA, performs, but at the city level.

The DOB management report was released last month, showing 17.7 percent fewer inspections than in fiscal year 2011. One reason was a high number of vacancies in the inspections department. In other words, the department is understaffed.

Even more disturbing, construction-related accidents increased from 119 in 2011 to 157 in 2012. The number of injuries rose from 128 to 187, and the number of fatalities went from four in 2011 to seven in 2012.

The DOB also responds to complaints regarding construction activities in New York City. In fiscal year 2012, complaints reported to the DOB decreased by 4.1 percent; however, the response time to emergency complaints was two hours longer than for fiscal year 2011. It took the DOB an average of 14 hours to respond to emergency complaints. The response time for non-emergency complaints went up from an average of 12.6 days to 41.1 days.

Common Causes of Injuries

As these figures show, the construction continues to be a high-risk occupation for workers in New York City. Although falls top the list of causes for construction-accident injuries, a number of other common reasons construction workers are injured include:

• Equipment/tool malfunction
• Electrical shock/electrocution
• Explosion
• Fires
• Excavation site injuries
• Safety equipment failure

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a New York City construction accident, you may be entitled to compensation.  Benefits through the workers’ compensation system may be inadequate. If a third-party contributed to the cause of the accident, you may be entitled to compensation through a third -party lawsuit in addition to, or in place of, workers’ compensation.

A Dedicated Construction Injury Attorney Can Help

Contact the New York City construction accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez & Winograd to find out what legal options you may have. With six offices conveniently located in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, we have an office near you. Contact the firm today by calling 888-446-2783 for your free consultation or fill out our online contact form.