Site had previously been closed following safety concerns
A construction worker was killed recently when a concrete wall collapsed at a job site in Midtown Manhattan, according to the New York Post. The section of wall, which witnesses said looked to have weighedseveral tons, fell on the worker during excavation at the site. The construction site, which will be the home of a 22-story hotel, had previously been shut down over safety violations this summer. Additionally, the hotel’s builder has faced criticism in the pastover safety conditions at the company’s construction sites.
Wall collapses
Workers at the site were in the process of removing soil when the concrete slab, which belonged to a neighboring building, collapsed. Although one worker managed to jump to safety, another 27-year-old worker was crushed by the slab. Workers tried to free the man, but were unable to lift the collapsed wall until firefighters arrived.
The building that the concrete slab fell from was also evacuated by firefighters over stability concerns. After the building was inspected and determined to be safe, tenants were permitted to return. Meanwhile, construction on the hotel has been suspended indefinitely while an investigation is carried out.
History of safety violations
This particular construction site and the hotel developer behind it have a history of safety concerns and violations, according to the New York Times. The site was partially shut down in August because of safety violations. City inspectors also investigated complaints that construction at the site was causing dangerous vibrations to the neighboring buildings. The latter complaints about the vibrations were eventually dismissed.
The developer behind this particular hotel is one of the most prolific builders in the city’s history. While the developer has had great success with budget travelers, construction workers and unions accuse the company of compromising safety during construction. Another hotel construction site by the same developer, this one near Union Square, was shut down several years ago because of safety violations. Since 2006, the company has been issued with over 200 building violations.
Construction accidents
Construction workers, as the above story shows, face numerous risks while doing their jobs and many of those risks are caused by construction companies or other parties failing to abide by health and safety regulations. Often, in the rush to get a project finished in time, safety is compromised and workers end up getting injured or even killed as a result.
Anybody who has been injured in a construction accident in New York should contact a qualified personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Construction accidents present unique and, at times, challenging aspects compared to other injury cases and clients will want the best legal representation they can get when deciding how to move forward.