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According to CPWR (The Center for Construction Research and Training), elevator-related fatalities among construction workers have doubled between 2003 and 2016.

During the same period, the number of construction injuries occurring due to elevator accidents has also gone up substantially, with electricians alone suffering from more than 700 injuries in 2016.

Nearly 50 percent of these injured construction workers had an average recovery time of 31 days or more. The data shows that construction workers in the younger age groups (35 years or below) constitute the highest percentage of elevator-related injuries and deaths.

Elevator shafts can be particularly dangerous to construction workers and repairmen operating on construction sites or performing some type of work related to elevator installation, repair, or maintenance.

Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, LLP is a well-known construction accident law firm in New York City. Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys understand what kind of injuries construction workers can sustain due to elevators, and how the construction site owners and general contractors could be held responsible for these injuries.

With nearly a century of illustrious legacy behind us, we at RMFW Law are best placed to guide you and your family through the legal maze to obtain maximum compensation, whether through a personal injury lawsuit or through workers’ compensation.

Types of Construction Elevator Accidents in New York

Temporary lifts, hoists, and elevators meant to carry people and materials can pose a high risk of accidents and injuries. Negligence on part of the site owner, contractor, elevator manufacturer, or maintenance company often contributes to elevator-related construction worker injuries in New York City.

Construction workers may suffer from serious injuries or fatalities due to elevator-related struck-by, compressed-by or caught-in injuries, apart from electrocutions.

Fatalities occur most often among construction workers who are installing or dismantling an elevator system. Elevator installers in under-construction buildings face the highest risk of fatalities among all construction workers (even more than roofers and ironworkers).

Typical elevator construction accidents may include:

• Fall from a height
• Falling object
• Mechanical failure, collapse or malfunction
• Electric shock, burn injuries, or electrocution
• Crushing injuries and caught-in accidents
• Accidental loss of limb/amputation

Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff law firm in New York City is fully equipped to handle all types of elevator related construction injury cases. We will assist you to obtain compensation if you have suffered bodily harm in this type of accident.

Elevator Shaft Fall Injuries can be Devastating

Construction workers often experience catastrophic injuries in elevator shaft fall accidents in New York City. If they are fortunate enough to survive, they may be severely injuries or maimed for life.

Medical costs, rehabilitation expenses, and long term care costs for injured construction workers who have sustained a traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, or who will have to spend the remainder of their life under assisted care can be extremely high.

For instance, the lifetime care costs for tetraplegia for a 25-year old injured construction worker can exceed $4 million. Pursuing a personal injury case for compensation against the negligent parties is the only way out in most such cases in order to pay for the immediate and long-term costs of care for the victim and compensate them for their future loss of income and pain and suffering.

Prevention of Elevator Accidents at Construction Sites in NYC

According to experts, elevator-related injuries and fatalities at construction sites in New York City can be prevented if the property owners and contractors adopt appropriate procedures and jobsite safeguards.

Considering the fact that falls from elevators account for the highest number of construction worker deaths, fall arrest systems, and other fall protection measures should be prioritized on construction sites with elevators.

Open shafts must be marked clearly and access to them must be controlled in order to minimize the risk of falls. Contractors should designate a safety supervisor who can check on workers to make sure they are correctly using the personal protective equipment (PPE) and who can ensure appropriate physical safeguards are in place in areas around the elevator shaft.

Liability in Elevator-related Construction Injuries and Your Legal Options

If you suffered from injuries while using any type of hoist or construction elevator to carry out job responsibilities or while repairing, maintaining or otherwise working on an elevator, you could have legal options to recover financial damages.

Depending on the facts of your case and your ability to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, our experienced construction accident lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff can help you obtain compensation for your medical costs, loss of income, pain and suffering and other economic and non-economic damages.

To broaden your scope of damages and prevail in a personal injury lawsuit in these cases, we will have to prove multiple legal elements before the law, including fault and liability. Some of the common examples of third party negligence and violations of workplace safety that could result in liability include:

• Poor elevator construction, operation, or maintenance
• Faulty elevator design or a mechanical defect
• Failure to carry out periodic inspections of the elevator as required by the New York Code
• Overloaded elevator or lift
• Struck-by/falling object injuries
• Violations of New York Labor Law 240, Labor Law 200, Labor Law 241

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Top New York City Construction Accident Lawyer

Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, LLP was founded in 1922, and has been protecting the legal interests of New Yorkers ever since. If you have suffered elevator-related injuries as a construction worker, we are here to help.

We will use all legal options on your behalf to ensure that you are rightfully compensated for your medical bills, pain and suffering, present and future loss of earnings, and damages.

We will not charge you anything until we win compensation for you. Schedule a free, no-obligations consultation with one of our experienced construction accident attorneys in NYC. Call us at 212-344-1000 or contact us online today!