A New York City construction worker lost his life in a construction accident. The 29-year-old worker suffered fatal trauma to the head when the wall of a trench collapsed, burying him under debris, according to news reports.
Although the city Department of Buildings has issued a stop-work order for the site, and the owner of the construction company has been cited for violations including working without a permit and failing to properly wall up the trench, nothing can bring back the worker who lost his life as a result of what appears to be negligence on the part of the company where the worker was employed.
New York Construction Accidents
It seems as if construction never stops in the Big Apple. While there doesn’t seem to be any room for the city to grow, it seems nevertheless to do so on a daily basis. Old buildings are torn down to make way for new ones. Newer buildings are remodeled to provide more room. Sometimes, a completely new building even manages to find room to sprout up. Along with all of that activity, the streets of New York City are forever being worked on, adding to the constant sound of construction.
According to statistics released by the City of New York, there were 152 construction accident injuries in the city in 2011. The same statistics tell us that five people lost their lives as a result of construction- related accidents in 2011.
Construction, of any kind, presents an inherent danger both to the construction workers themselves and to anyone who happens to be close by. Although some of the most common types of construction accidents are falls and crane accidents, injuries can be caused from just about any type of construction-related accident, as evidenced by the fatal accident last week.
Who Is At Fault In a Construction Accident?
The legal term used to refer to fault or blame is “negligence.” Although some construction accidents are just that — accidents — most are caused by negligence on the part of someone. Often, the negligent party is the construction company itself.
Because construction work is so dangerous, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is charged with making rules and regulations that are intended to make a construction site as safe as possible. Along with making rules, OSHA also oversees work sites to ensure that employers are complying with those rules. While a violation of OSHA rules does not alone prove that the employer was negligent, it is often a good indication that the employer was negligent. Failing to abide by rules that are intended to protect people from injury is an important piece of the puzzle when deciding who was at fault in a construction accident.
When the construction company is found to have been negligent, the injured party, or the family of someone who has lost his or her life, may be entitled to compensation. The company may be required to pay for medical bills, lost time from work and the pain and suffering caused by the accident. When a loved one is killed in a construction accident, the surviving family members may also be entitled to compensation for the loss they have suffered.
If you have been injured in a New York construction accident, or have lost a loved one in a construction accident, you need a construction accident attorney on your side. The construction accident lawyers at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., have both the experience and the resources to properly investigate your injuries and fight for the compensation to which you are entitled.
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 1-888-446-2783 for your free consultation, or fill out our online contact form.