Construction Accidents Rise in NYC

Construction-related injuries and deaths have increased significantly in New York City as construction activity as soared, according to a recent report in the New York Post. The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) reported that eight people were killed in construction accidents in the first seven months of 2018 compared to four deaths during the same period in 2017.

Through July 2018, the 469 workers injured on the job in New York represented a 17 percent increase compared to 2017. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showed that construction accounted for 37.5 percent of work-related fatalities in New York City in 2016.

If you suffered serious injuries or your loved one was killed in an accident while working on a construction site in New York City, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Under certain circumstances, you may have a legal right to bring a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. It is in your best interest to seek legal representation as quickly as possible.

David Resnick & Associates, P.C. has recovered more than $60 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients. You can have our lawyers review your case and discuss your legal options by calling (917) 382-8135 or completing an online contact form to receive a free consultation.

Increase in Injury Statistics

The Post reported that at least 50 people were injured by falling debris at worksites thus far in 2018. At least 12 accidents were reported at the Hudson Yards project at the 400 and 500 blocks of West 33rd Street.

According to the Post, the 168,243 construction permits issued last year by the DOB were a record high. The DOB said that the 45,242 construction workers on the job in NYC also was a record number.

In October 2017, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio approved a requirement for construction workers to log more training hours. A law passed in 2017 required the DOB to post information about all construction-related deaths and injuries online.

In its Annual Report on Construction Fatalities in New York, the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH) reported that 94.7 percent of workers who died on private worksites in New York State in 2016 were non-union, and 93.8 percent of the construction workers killed on private worksites in New York City that same year were non-union.

The annual report stated that 71 construction workers were killed on the job in New York State in 2016, the highest number on record. The state’s fatal occupational injury rate in construction had increased 29.5 percent over the past five years.

According to the annual report, falls account for the most fatalities in both New York State and New York City. Over the past ten years, 218 workers died in falls in New York State, and 101 workers were killed in falls in New York City, accounting for 48 percent and 46 percent of all construction deaths, respectively.

Recent Construction Accidents in New York City

Federal statistics suggest that construction is the most dangerous job in New York City.

A recent reminder of that danger was an accident involving a worker being electrocuted by a live wire inside a West Village residential building at 36 Grove Street on July 16, The Post reported. Another worker was killed four days before that incident when a falling piece of scaffolding fatally hit a worker on the head at the International House at 524 Riverside Drive in Morningside Heights.

Other recent incidents recorded by the N.Y. Department of Buildings include:

• A worker injured his back while lifting a piece of sheetrock on June 1 at Liberty Plaza in Manhattan.
• A man’s right hand was crushed when a pipe section fell while he was installing a sprinkler pipe on June 4 at Leonard Street in Manhattan.
• An employee slipped and fell, injuring his left hip, while stripping wooden forms from a concrete structure on June 4 at West 125th Street in Manhattan.
• A man suffered a laceration to his right forearm while working on an elevator platform hoist entrance on June 6 at 1st Street in Queens.
• A worker who was installing a hoist machine was injured when a hoist shaft fell on top of his arm on June 8 at Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn.
• A worker who was cutting material with a utility knife (or “breakaway knife”) was stabbed in the left forearm when the knife broke on June 13 on the 29th floor of 7th Avenue in Manhattan.
• A worker cut his left index finger with a sheetrock knife while cutting an Electrical Non-Metallic Tubing (ENT) conduit for installation in the elevator lobby on June 18 in the ninth floor of University Place in Manhattan.
• A worker fell into a hole and suffered a back injury on June 20 at East 62nd Street in Manhattan.
• A worker fell from a distance of fewer than five feet on June 25 while grinding concrete wall at the 14th floor North tower at West 43rd Street in Manhattan.
• A worker fell from a ladder from a height of approximately eight feet while cutting a sprinkler pipe on June 27 in Brooklyn.

All of the incidents listed above occurred within a single month, which indicates just how frequently construction accidents happen in New York City.

New Reporting Standards Online

A recent law passed requires the DOB to post all construction-related accidents online. According to the DOB, this “Accident Summary Report is a summary of year-to-date accidents. The report is a list of all accidents for the reported month and includes the accident date, address, a description of the accident, owner name, contractor name, and violations issued.

Did you sustain catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in a construction accident in New York City? You can give yourself the best chance of recovering compensation for your injuries by seeking the guidance of an experienced NYC construction accident lawyer.

David Resnick & Associates, P.C. represents injured workers throughout the New York City area. Call 212-279-2000 or contact us online to discuss your rights and legal options with one of our experienced New York construction accident attorneys.

Author: David Resnick

Founder of David Resnick & Associates, P.C., a New York personal injury law firm in charge of providing exceptional and personal service to each of our clients in various areas including car accidents, slip and fall, wrongful death, construction accidents, and premises liability. David Resnick founded the firm in 1998 after working in large law firms where he saw a need for greater client communication and more personal care.