Many news reports, newsletter pieces and other types of articles deal with the controversy of New York Labor Law 240 and the environment that New York construction workers often face while on the job. Some sources go deeper into the reality of labor environments by discussing statistics in order to talk about what happens within a given industry.
In a previous article posted on Real Estate Weekly Online, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that of the 3,929 work fatalities that occurred in the private industry in 2013 across the country, 20 percent of those were in construction. The leading cause of death at 36.9 percent was falls. Contact with objects and equipment caused three fatalities, and many injuries. These numbers show the reality of why injuries and fatalities occur on construction sites, and they help provide companies with the tools to work with to make sure that none of these tragic situations happen through simple negligence or ignorance of what happens at a site.
A Closer Look at the Issues Surrounding Work Injuries
The Real Estate Weekly article also discusses the major issues with construction worker safety. For instance, there’s the issue of union and non-union laborers. Unions tend to put in place comprehensive safety reforms as part of negotiations, whereas non-union laborers may lose out. Without the support and protection of a union, workers are left to fend for themselves to argue with employers who do not allow them to work safely in an effort to help them understand when a risk is present.
There’s also the issue of immigrants who may not speak fluent English. So many key communications that employers provide their workers are given in English. For example, non-native English speakers may not understand the safety manuals that are intended to ensure correct use of equipment. They may not understand chemical hazard sheets posted in the workplace. They may even fail to realize their own rights and legal options.
There’s also the issue of retaliation. Where some companies work properly with injured workers, some try to brush issues under the rug and retaliate against those who speak up.
Within this context, a personal injury attorney is often the last line of defense for someone who has been harmed because of someone else’s mistakes or negligence. These professional attorneys do the legal fact-finding required in an injury case, to evaluate third-party responsibility and pursue fair outcomes for their clients. In legal hearings and other court events, injury lawyers give their clients a voice in court. It’s essential to have good counsel when facing a local court system to present a work injury claim.
Get Help From A New York City Workers’ Compensation Law Firm
A worker who is harmed in a New York City construction or building accident should seek experienced legal representation by calling the lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. We are prepared to do the hard work involved in case evaluation, and will look at every aspect of a case to see whether the injury scenario can fall under laws like NY Labor Law 240 and 241. Let us help to make sure you get a fair outcome in court after a work accident.
