Unsafe worksites can cause tragic accidents that result in workers suffering permanent and sometimes even fatal work injuries. A New York workers’ compensation law firm can provide representation to those who have suffered harm when fatal accidents happen at work or when employees get sick or injured as a direct result of doing work tasks. Worksite injuries and fatalities are far too common in the New York area, and just recently, Long Island Business News published a troubling report about the total number of workplace fatalities that occurred in the greater New York metropolitan area in the course of 2016.
Hundreds of Workers Died in the NY Metropolitan Area
According to Long Island Business News, there were a total of 222 fatalities among workers in the greater NY metro work area. This covers the New York, Newark, and Jersey City areas as well as the New Jersey and Pennsylvania metro regions. Men accounted for the majority of these fatalities, with male workers accounting for 92 percent of all workers killed in the New York metro region. This is very similar to the national breakdown of deaths by gender, as men account for 93 percent of all workers killed nationwide. This is slightly below recent record highs, as the number of workplace fatalities within this region has ranged from 145 (which occurred in 2010) to 236 (which occurred in 2004). This region of the country has the largest population among 10 metropolitan areas, and it also had the highest number of work-related deaths compared with those other metros. Most of these workplace injuries occurred for the same common reasons. For example, vehicle accidents were the leading cause of workplace fatalities. A total of 62 of the workplace fatalities in 2016 that occurred in the greater New York metro area happened in transportation incidents. This included a total of 30 different roadway incidents that involved cars as well as another 16 accidents involving pedestrians. Slips, trips, and falls were the second leading cause of workplace deaths in the New York metro region, accounting for 26 percent of all workplace fatalities in the area. A total of 57 people in New York died because of falls they experienced at work. The third leading cause of fatalities were acts of violence or other injuries that were caused by either people or animals. There were 43 deaths resulting from acts of violence, and these fatalities accounted for 19 percent of all worker deaths that occurred over the course of the year. In total, 23 of these deaths were caused by homicide while there were also 19 acts of suicide. If you get hurt at work or if one of your loved ones is among the hundreds of workers who sustain injury on New York worksites, it is important that you understand your rights and get proper legal help to fight for compensation for your losses. A New York City workers’ compensation law firm can provide you with representation and assist you in pursuing your claim, so give us a call today for assistance and advice.