New York state scaffolding laws have helped to protect workers for many years, but now some advocates of reform have these laws in their crosshairs.
Reporting in the Legislative Gazette February 17 shows trade groups and others contending a link between existing scaffolding laws and extremely high insurance premiums for construction projects. Some claim that existing scaffolding law provides for personal injury payouts even if the worker was at fault, and that these kinds of payouts take a lot of money from taxpayers. Some of the more extreme claims suggest that having strong compensation guidelines makes some projects less feasible or unfairly affects small businesses, though others would question whether this is objectively a main component of the challenges that companies face around expansion
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Other perspectives represented in the report claim that insurance companies haven’t really released information that would show whether high premiums or lack of available coverage are a result of these legislative worker protections, or whether the insurance companies have set some or all of them arbitrarily. Some propose more transparency from insurance companies before laws are changed.
Worker’s Compensation Personal Injury Law
Professional New York City workers’ compensation law firm staffers who work to defend personal injury victims every day have their own opinions on whether existing workers protection laws should be reformed. It’s easy for critics of worker’s compensation requirements to claim that these protections are excessive, and that they ratchet up costs for projects. However, personal injury attorneys and other legal professionals representing injured New York workers have a responsibility to truly represent this community — the people who are injured working on the front lines, and need reasonable protections and avenues for compensation when they suffer from workplace related injury. And, there’s a case to be made that ‘reform’ should not just involve cutting costs, but determining when workers need various levels of compensation to cover all of the costs and hardships they will face after an injury.
In the end, there is a large gray area regarding what is ‘reasonable and proper’ when it comes to compensation and payouts for personal injury. A New York City workers’ compensation law firm works hard for clients to advance their cases and get them the money that they truly need for care and recovery, and more. As changes to state and local laws continue to play out, local legal professionals will keep a close eye on what’s “allowed” for plaintiffs, in order to counsel clients to the best of their abilities, again, to maximize the success for an injured worker looking for help after negligence or unsafe conditions lead to an injury.
Personal Injury Lawyers in New York City
If you or someone you love was injured on the job, or suffers from some other kind of personal injury, you can get legal help from a New York City workers’ compensation law firm. Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff has years of experience representing New Yorkers in various kinds of personal injury and wrongful death cases. Let us help you to assess your options and seek compensation to protect your family’s finances.
