Recently, a tragic accident in New York City resulted in the death of a 27-year-old construction worker. The young worker was performing his job on a construction site in Greenwich Village and was planning to head to his Westchester County home. Unfortunately, a wood plank fell off a scaffold near Hudson Street and Leroy Street. The falling wood caused him to suffer severe neck injuries and severe back injuries. The worker was transported to Lenox Hill Healthplex, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The worker who was killed had a hard hat on at the time of the accident. He reportedly came to the U.S. from Mexico a decade ago and was living with his uncle and sending money home to his mother who still lives in Mexico. His tragic death has resulted in calls for increased safety as many safety advocates believe construction companies care more about profits than they do about preventing accidents.
Whenever accidents occur, whether the construction company has violated safety rules or not, workers are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. If an on-the-job accident leaves a worker dead, as in this recent tragic incident, then the family members of the victim should be entitled to receive workers’ compensation death benefits.
Another Scaffolding Accident Leads to Continuing Concerns About Construction Site Safety
The scaffolding accident which left the construction worker dead had happened at the time when scaffolding was being dismantled at a luxury condo development. An investigation revealed numerous safety violations at the construction site where the accident happened. A spokesperson from Department of Buildings also indicated violations had been issued at the same site in the past, including a prior stop work order in connection with problems with scaffolding. After the death of the construction worker, yet another stop work order was issued for the same place.
The contractor on the project and the construction company did not make an official statement after the death, according to ABC 7. However, friends and family members of the construction worker who was killed did go public, raising questions about whether the death can and should have been prevented. In particular friends and family expressed concern that non-union workers on construction sites are skirting the laws and failing to prioritize the safety of construction personnel.
The repeated past safety violations show the company was clearly cutting corners and was clearly aware their worksite was not safe- and yet they continued to have work performed in a high-risk situation. This is especially troubling given the fact construction is already very dangerous.
Construction is one of the highest-risk industries for workplace safety, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicating that one out of every five worker deaths nationwide happens in construction. In New York in recent years, as the building trade has increased following the recession, the death rate for construction workers has been climbing. Clearly, there are problems which need to be addressed when it comes to construction site safety. Victims and family members of those killed on construction sites also need to know their rights and should consult with New York City construction accident lawyers after an injury on-the-job. Contact Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff today.
