New York Injury Talk Blog

A 50-year-old man fell to his death while working with scaffolding at a construction site in Queens. NY1 news reports that the worker tried to "pull a scaffold up from the roof when he fell six stories" to his death. The Queens construction accident occurred at a work site located at 34th Ave and 89th Street in Jackson Heights. There is no word yet about the cause of this fatal construction accident. The job site has been shut down while an investigation takes place.

Construction sites can be dangerous areas to work. Some factors that can lead to a tragic accident include unsafe working conditions, faulty equipment, broken machinery, inexperienced co-workers and lack of proper training or supervision. If you are injured while working in New York, you can file a New York personal injury claim to cover your medical expenses and lost wages.

In addition to NY worker's compensation, families of deceased workers can also consult an experienced Queens injury lawyer to determine if they have a third-party claim against an entity other than the employer. Such entities may include contractors, sub-contractors, equipment maintenance contractors or manufacturers of defective products.

The New York construction scaffold accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP help construction workers and their families obtain fair compensation for their injuries and losses. Call us today at 212-986-7353 for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.

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A construction worker was injured in the Upper East Side after a falling piece of concrete crushed his arm. According to a news DNAinfo.com article, a 10-by-13-foot piece of concrete fell from a parking garage ceiling. The concrete slab pinned the New York construction worker’s arm. Emergency crews were called and the worker was treated at a local hospital. While it is known that the injuries suffered are not life-threatening, we do not know the severity of the arm injury.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the construction industry ranks high when it comes to the most dangerous jobs in the country. Most construction workers have very physically demanding jobs. A lasting injury that affects your mobility and strength may render you no longer capable of doing your job. If you have been a long time construction worker, you know how exhausting and difficult a construction job can be. Any lingering injury may affect your ability to maintain the job you have and to be effective in the workplace.

Construction supervisors, construction companies and property owners have an obligation to the workers onsite to provide a safe work environment. When a NY construction site accident occurs due to unsafe conditions or negligence, workers can file a claim seeking compensation. Such claims are usually filed against parties other than the employer.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a New York construction accident, the New York construction accident injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP can help you understand your legal rights and options. Call 212-986-7353 for a free and comprehensive review of your claim.

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An earthen bank collapsed and a construction worker was trapped and killed in Holland, New York. WKBW reports that the Holland Fire Department tried to help the worker and had him flown to a nearby hospital, but it was too late.

The 34-year-old Silver Springs victim was working in the basement of a home with other workers when the New York workplace accident happened. The earth bank fell and he was pinned underneath it. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials are currently investigating the fatal NY construction accident.

Unfortunately, this type of tragic fatal New York construction site accident is not uncommon. In New York, in 2007, 4.7 out of every 100 construction workers suffered an on-the-job injury serious enough to report. That adds up to 16,200 construction industry injuries in New York in 2007 alone. Also in New York during the same year, construction accidents claimed 51 lives.

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A Jackson Heights worker was killed in a New York construction accident after he fell from scaffolding while working on an elevator shaft in a Manhattan building. The New York Post reports that the 51-year-old worker was inside an elevator shaft on the third floor of a construction site at 603 W. 129th St. when he fell from scaffolding to the bottom of the shaft. The man was transported to a local hospital where he died.

This man's death was apparently the first fatal New York City construction accident in 2010. Last year, the city's Department of Buildings reported an 84 percent drop in construction accident fatalities from 19 in 2008 to three in 2009. However, the total number of reported construction accidents rose from 151 in 2008 to 224 in 2009 and the total number of reported injuries rose from 178 in 2008 to 246 in 2009. Officials say the increase in the number of incidents can be attributed to better accident reporting by construction companies.

Falls from scaffolding are the most common types of fatal accidents, which occur at New York construction sites. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a number of scaffolding accidents occur because scaffolds are not constructed per manufacturer's guidelines or companies fail to install proper fall protection systems such as guardrails.

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According to a recent report in the New York Post, construction site accident fatalities in NY have dropped by 84 percent compared to last year. The report states that this marked improvement is the result of tougher safety standards imposed by New York City officials. The reduction in construction site fatalities has also been attributed to a slowdown in construction activity due to the economic recession. In 2009, three fatal construction accident deaths were reported compared to 2008 when there were 19 construction site fatalities, including two devastating crane accidents in Manhattan.

These serious construction accidents prompted a thorough review of the city's construction safety standards. The new regulations also gave the city's Building Department more teeth and expanded enforcement powers. The new standards require more extensive training for construction workers as well. City officials say their goal has been to change the culture of the construction industry and basically teach them to "put public safety ahead of profit."

Continue reading "New York City Construction Accident Deaths Decline" »

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The number of New York City construction accidents has increased, but there have been fewer fatalities as a result of construction site accidents this year. According to a news report in the Insurance Journal, the number of reported construction accidents in New York increased by more than 40 percent compared to the same period in 2008. Reported injuries increased by more than 30 percent during that time. A majority of the injuries were a result of falls in construction sites. The number of deaths, however, decreased considerably. The number of construction accident deaths in 2008 was 19 and 12 in 2007. This year, there were only two through the month of June. City officials say the reduction in fatalities is due to an increased awareness of construction safety and better reporting of incidents.

In spite of strict safety standards, construction workers are always at risk when they are on the job. New York State does not allow employees to sue their employers for on the job accidents. However, contractors, sub-contractors, architects, manufacturers of defective products or property owners may be held liable for injuries or wrongful deaths that take place during construction work.

Continue reading "New York City Construction Site Accidents Increase, Deaths Down" »

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A construction worker was killed in a New York City construction site accident after he plunged five stories when part of a scaffold collapsed in Brooklyn. According to a news article in the Insurance Journal, the worker had been resurfacing bricks on an apartment building's façade when the accident occurred. The 42-year-old man was moving from one scaffold to another when the second scaffold collapsed. While one man fell, two other workers clung to the tilted scaffold and were later rescued by firefighters.

Scaffold accidents can cause serious injuries and even fatalities, as in this New York construction accident. New York Labor Law Section 240 (1) states: "All contractors and owners and their agents, except owners of one and two-family dwellings who contract for but do not direct or control the work, in the erection, demolition, repairing, altering, painting, cleaning or pointing of a building or structure shall furnish or erect, or cause to be furnished or erected for the performance of such labor, scaffolding, hoists, stays, ladders, slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, braces, irons, ropes, and other devices which shall be so constructed, placed and operated as to give proper protection to a person so
employed."

Continue reading "Brooklyn Fatal Construction Accident" »

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined a Long Island concrete contractor $72,000 for repeated safety violations after a worker was injured in a construction accident, the Associated Press reports. Federal safety officials say the worker suffered non-life-threatening injuries in March when he fell 10 feet from the 34th floor to the 33rd floor of a midtown Manhattan building. Agency officials said the worker had dislodged the unsecured cover of a floor hold and that the contractor failed to put sufficient fall protections in place. Officials also say the company did not train workers to recognize or deal with such hazards at construction sites. The contractor has 15 days to pay the fine or appeal it.

This worker was very lucky that he did not plunge to his death as a result of this fall. A number of construction site accidents, especially falls, occur in New York and other cities because contractors do not follow state and federal safety standards that are mandated by law. New York State law prohibits employees from suing their employers for on-the-job accidents. However, third parties, such as contactors, sub-contractors, architects, manufacturers and property owners may be held liable for injuries or wrongful deaths that take place at a construction site.

Continue reading "Contractor Fined in New York City Construction Accident" »

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A worker was injured in a Manhattan construction accident when he took a fall at the World Trade Center construction site. According to this news report, the worker reportedly fell about five feet and suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. The construction site accident occurred near the intersection of Liberty and West Streets. The worker was taken to an area hospital.

Some of the most serious construction site accidents occur when workers either slip and fall during work, or fall off a scaffold. These types of fall accidents can cause major injuries that can be devastating to construction workers and their families. These are also most often the types of injuries that result in death. Even when the worker survives, there are many tough challenges he or she is faced with such as expensive medical bills, loss of income resulting from missed work and in some case, continuing medical costs. Sometimes, workers are left with a permanent disability that leaves them unable to work for the rest of their lives.

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A man was reportedly injured in a New York construction accident after a concrete ramp in a parking garage collapsed as he operated a compact construction vehicle. According to this Associated Press news report, the 47-year-old man was driving a payloader in the downtown building when the ramp gave way and fell one floor to the street level. Emergency workers apparently had to shore up the collapsed area before the worker could be pulled from the vehicle. The worker was treated for severe neck injuries, but they were not life-threatening, the news report said. The on-the-job accident is being investigated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

This worker was lucky to escape catastrophic injury in this construction accident in New York; however, many others are not as fortunate. No matter how stringent construction safety standards are, construction workers are at risk every day they are on the job. New York state law prohibits employees from suing their employers for on the job accidents. Contractors, architects, manufacturers and property owners may also be held liable for injuries or wrongful deaths that take place at a construction site.

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An ironworker, who was working at the Sept. 11 memorial construction site was hospitalized with hip and arm injuries after a construction accident in New York when he slipped and fell 20 feet. According to this news report, Guido Castro was on a break when he slipped on metal decking on the construction site and fell down one level. The worker was apparently wearing a safety harness, but it was not hooked because he was on a break. Castro sustained serious injuries.

Construction accidents mostly result in catastrophic injuries or death because most of them involve falls from a higher elevation. Injuries include brain injuries, broken bones and paralysis. In most of these cases, workers are unable to return to work permanently or for an extended period of time, putting them and their families under tremendous financial strain.

The skilled New York personal injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro will be able to investigate these construction accidents and determine who should be held responsible. Often, these construction site accidents occur because someone was negligent or did not follow mandated safety procedures. In many cases, the negligence could be on the part of someone other than the worker's employer. In such cases, claims may be filed against these negligent parties in addition to workers compensation claims.

Workers and their families may be able to receive more compensation to offset medical bills and other expenses they face during such hard times. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a construction accident, please contact the experienced NY construction accident lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro for a free and comprehensive consultation.

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Two workers, who were hired to paint the Queens and Bronx bridge towers, were injured after a large overhead sign fell on to the roadway. According to this news report, the sign and metal support system feel after it was struck by a truck near the Queens side of the Whitestone Bridge. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials, the two contract workers were in the truck at the time of the construction accident in Queens.

Every year, thousands of workers are killed or seriously injured on the job. New York workers compensation laws are designed to make sure that workers who are injured, disabled, or killed on the job receive compensation for their monetary losses. These laws also provide workers compensation benefits for the families and dependents of those workers who are killed because of work-related injuries or illnesses.

Workers compensation benefits are in place to help employees who are injured on the job. But they are usually not sufficient to fully compensate injured workers for all damages sustained as a result of their work-related injuries. These benefits are definitely not enough to compensate a family for the loss of their primary breadwinner, much less the loss of a beloved family member.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries on the job, please contact New York's top work accident injury lawyers to find out more about your legal rights and options. We will look at all the aspects of your case. If you are a contractor or subcontractor, we will look into all the parties that were involved. The knowledgeable and experienced New York personal injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLC will make sure that you are fairly compensated for your injuries and losses.

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Anthony Paino, a 28-year-old Staten Island man, was killed in a Manhattan construction accident after he fell from the 10th floor of a hotel under construction on Park Avenue South. According to this news report in the New York Times, Paino fell from a plywood mold used for poured concrete columns and landed on top of the sidewalk shed of an adjacent building. Authorities say Paino was not wearing a required harness that is used to tether workers to the buildings and prevent such falls.

Paino apparently worked for L.M.C. Specialties, a steel subcontractor that was placing reinforcement bars to be covered by concrete. He was supposed to have been working on a column at the edge of the building inside protective guardrails. But officials say they don't know what happened and how Paino fell to his death. This is the second fatal New York City construction site accident this year.

Every year many workers are killed or catastrophically injured while working on scaffolding. This occurs although there are many state and federal regulations, as well as industry standards that require owners, contractors and subcontractors to implement a variety of safety measures. Injured workers or their families would be entitled to New York workers compensation benefits, but these benefits are inadequate and often don't compensate injured workers for all damages caused by their NY work-related accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a New York construction accident, please call an experienced New York construction accident injury attorney at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP. for a free consultation and case evaluation. Our New York scaffolding injury lawyers have extensive experience in all types of construction site accidents.

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A scaffold collapse in New York has put a construction worker in hospital with serious injuries to his leg, reports the New York Post in a recent story. The incident happened at the site near the New York Public Library as the scaffold came down on a rooftop trapping the victim under rubble.

According to authorities, the on-the-job injury accident was set off by a bucket filled with construction material that fell from a hoist and crashed into the scaffold that was on top of the building located at 12 E. 42nd Street. The construction work and the scaffold were part of a masonry renovation project, the news report said.

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The website ny1.com reported in an article on October 30, that relatives of Ramadan Kurtaj from New York and beyond gathered to pay homage at the scene of the crane accident in New York that ended his life. Family members laid flowers and a wreath in his memory. Located on 91st and First Avenue, a construction crane came crashing down on Kurtaj killing him along with crane operator Donald Leo.

Kurtaj family attorney Susan Karten said, “This crane shouldn't have been on the street because it was 24 years old. There are signs and different reports saying that there was fatigue. And this is not the kind of equipment that should be used in a city that’s state of the art in every other respect but not with respect to the lives of construction workers.”

Karten indicated that the family would be filing suit seeking damages from the crane company as well as the general contractor. Furthermore they are requesting that the District Attorney and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration make public their findings into this dreadful work related accident.

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The ny1.com website reported in an article on October 6, that government officials have released a report detailing the number of on the job deaths for 2007 in the state of New York. According to officials, the number of on the job deaths was 81 for 2007. The bulk of the deaths were related to construction accidents. Officials have been keeping record of this morbid stat for 16 years.

So far, and not withstanding the three months left in 2008, New York has seen almost 24 fatalities due to construction accidents. Included in these are the nine people killed in two separate crane collapses. In efforts to curtail construction related injuries and/or deaths, city officials have issued new guidelines for construction crane operators in order for them to get licensed.

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A New York City construction worker suffered a broken leg in an on-the-job accident that occurred at a toxic ground zero tower where two firefighters were killed more than a year ago. According to this Associated Press news report, the accident happened at the basement level of the former Deutsche Bank tower, where the workers were removing debris. Official reports state that an excavator struck the worker, who is an employee of LVI Environmental Services.

New York City’s Buildings Department has apparently cited the contractor for not providing enough shoring or netting for fall protection. Worker-related injuries have continued as work has progressed in ground zero. Last month, prosecutors indicted the former subcontractor, John Galt Corp., and three construction officials on manslaughter charges for the deaths of two firefighters in a 2007 blaze.

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Four construction workers were injured – one seriously – during a pre-dawn excavation accident at a building side in midtown Manhattan, according to this Newsday report. The injuries occurred after a “structural collapse” on West 42nd Street on December 11, 2008. One worker was trapped under the fallen construction materials, including concrete and a sidewalk shed. The worker who was seriously injured suffered severe injuries to his leg following the New York construction accident, the news report states.

Hundreds of workers are killed every year and tens of thousands are injured – many seriously – in construction accidents in the United States each year. The construction industry ranks third in the rate of fatal injuries following mining and agriculture. For every 100,000 workers, 15 die because of injury. There are several construction site hazards that could result in fatal or serious injuries including scaffolding accidents, falls, forklift accidents, electrocution, machinery accidents, workers struck by falling objects and crane accidents.

There is no question that construction jobs are high-risk, but there are also several steps an employer can take to ensure workers’ safety. Not only should these safety standards be strictly adhered to, but employers should also train their workers properly with regard to these standards and procedures.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a New York construction accident, you may be entitled to significant compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. Please call Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro to schedule a free consultation and case discussion. We will remain on your side and fight for your rights to secure the compensation you are due.

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Anthony Esposito, a construction worker, plunged about 40 stories to his death from a Manhattan skyscraper that was being constructed by the developer of the World Trade Center, according to this news report. Esposito was a rigger on a crew dismantling a crane and is said to have fallen either from the crane or a 20-foot movable walkway linking it to the skyscraper. The fatal construction accident reportedly occurred on 42nd Street, where developer Larry Silverstein is construction two 60-story luxury apartment buildings.

In the United States, especially in New York City, the construction industry is not only large, but also high-risk. This is an industry that ranks third in the rate of injury causing fatalities – third only to mining and agriculture. For every 100,000 constructions workers, 15 die because of some injury. Some of the most common construction site hazards that result in serious death or injury include scaffolding accidents, crane accidents, fall, forklift malfunctions, electrocution and machinery accidents.

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Federal officials have slapped three contractors with fines totaling $313,000 for safety violations which they say led to the March 15 crane collapse on E. 51st Street that killed seven people. According to an article in the New York Daily News, officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that a web sling used to haul parts of a large-sized crane ripped open causing the fatal construction accident.

The biggest portion of the penalty -- $210,000 – is to be paid by Rapetti Rigging of Massapequa, Long Island. This company has been accused of numerous infractions including failing to inspect the crucial web slings that set off the crane collapse. Two other contractors who paid the fines were Reliance Construction Group and Joy Contractors Inc. Among those who died in the fatal crane collapse accident were six workers and a woman in a nearby building.

Every year hundreds of crane operators and construction workers are catastrophically injured or killed on the job in construction site accidents or crane collapse accidents. These injuries and deaths occur in spite of state and federal regulations and industry standards which require owners, general contractors and sub-contractors to adopt and implement a variety of safety measures. Workers’ compensation benefits are by no means sufficient to fully compensate injured workers for all damages sustained as a result of their work-related accident.

A majority of crane related accidents in New York occur because of crane instability, lack of communication and lack of training. If you or a loved one has been involved in a crane accident in New York, please call Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, L.L.P. to schedule a free consultation and find out more about your legal rights.

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The New York Times reported Anthony Esposito, a construction worker, fell to his death 48 stories in New York City on September 4th. The NY construction accident took place at a work site at West 41st Street and 11th Avenue on the Far West Side of Manhattan where developer Larry A. Silverstein is building the Silver Towers.

Preliminary information stated that Anthony may have been involved with the “jump” of the crane. ‘Jumping’ is the process by which the giant machine is raised or lowered and requires the removal of bolts from its foundation. Fire Department Commader Anthony DeVita said that Esposito lost his footing on the walkway, which was attached to scaffolding about 48 floors up, while the crane was being maneuvered, but said that the accident appeared to be unrelated to the movement of the crane.

Work related accidents at construction sites have become a common occurrence recently in New York City, prompting city officials to pass several new reforms. New York’s city council was ironically preparing to pass three more bills related to worker safety regulations at construction sites the day the accident occurred.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident at a construction site in New York please contact the experienced New York Construction Accident Attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, & Shapiro who have been specializing in work related accidents at construction sites for many years and have a proven success record. Please call 212-222-4336 for a free and confidential consultation.

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According to a NY Times report, people received minor injuries after a bucket that was being lifted by a crane fell, breaking glass windows as it toppled along side of the building. The injured were treated for cuts and abrasions from the debris at a nearby hospital. The bucket, which was being used to hold debris from the construction site was knocked over when a crane that was being used to carry supplies to the upper floors accidently came in contact with it. After the New York Construction Accident, engineers conducted tests to determine the crane’s stability.

These types of NY scaffolding accidents are not at all uncommon and have almost become a part of daily life in the city we live in. The article states that the crane “accidentally knocked” the bucket off of the scaffolding. Despite the characterization of the event as an accident, I would be concerned with the potential negligent operation of the crane and the proper fastening of the bucket. Questions regarding the expertise of the crane operator should also be asked in New York Construction accidents such as this one. How long had the crane operator been on the job? Did the crane operator have a previous history of similar mishaps? Had the company addressed those concerns? Was the operator in the right state of mind during the occurrence?

Continue reading "Construction Accident Involving Bucket Injures Workers, Bystanders" »

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We reported on May 30’s fatal crane accident. Now we can confirm that New York has suspended all crane construction until June 2 and will be hiring over 20 new engineers to monitor construction sites as part of a new $93 million initiative to increase construction safety.

Many claim New York’s current construction boom for two crane crashes since March 2008, which were unrelated but both fatal. In at least one of the cases, an inspector reported having been on-site though he had not in fact inspected the cranes. Such negligence and incompetence has had an impact not only on the lives lost during the accidents, but on the enforcement of construction safety laws within New York City. Since March, over 21 claims seeking nearly $400 millions in damages have been filed with the New York City’s Comptroller’s Office. And the lawsuits aren’t likely to slow down any time soon.

Unfortunately for the victims of these and other construction accidents, construction litigation can be slow going. After all, each construction site involves countless contractors, vendors, and individuals, all of whom can be held accountable in some way when negligence and poor training has its inevitable effect. The good news is that construction accident victims have rights – and with the right legal representation, these rights can be protected in court. The right construction accident attorney can investigate your accident, file the appropriate lawsuit, and vigorously act on your behalf to obtain financial and other compensation for your injuries. This can act as a deterrent to unscrupulous contractors whose negligence hurts innocent workers...and help you pick up the pieces after a debilitating or even deadly accident affecting you or a family member.

Have you been injured in a construction accident in New York? Turn to the New York construction accident lawyers of Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, the firm that helps the victims of negligence take back their lives and get the compensation they deserve. Call today for a free phone consultation – your consultation is completely confidential.

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Two more construction workers died at work this last week. This coming after the New York Times reported that thousands of construction workers gathered on April 29th to mourn the loss of 13 people who have been killed in New York construction accidents just this year. Only one day later, on April 30th, another construction iron worker fell 25 feet from a building under construction on East 29th street in Manhattan.

Authorities identified the worker as Christopher Gunn. According to the authorities Gunn, 28 was attempting to maneuver a twenty foot steel I-beam that was being lifted into place by a crane. The accident took place at approximately 8:30AM on April 30th. Gunn fell two stories after he slipped and fell from the building that is under construction between First Avenue and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive. The fall caused Gunn’s safety helmet to fracture and left him on a concrete slab-unconscious, according to witnesses at the scene.

The Times indicated that the federal and city Occupational and Safety Administrations are investigating the cause of several fatal construction accidents in New York City. Acting buildings administrator, Robert D. LiMandri, taking the place of Patricia Lancaster who resigned last week under heavy construction safety scrutiny, indicated, “We are going to get to the bottom of it. Development must not take place at the expense of the workers building our city.”

Continue reading "Iron Worker Critically Injured After Falling 25 Feet in Construction Accident" »

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Last month Mayor Bloomberg and his administration announced that the city will hire sixty-three more safety inspectors in light of the alarming number of construction deaths and accidents in New York City. The fatal accidents and inspection flaws also led to the resignation of Patricia Lancaster, the first female New York Buildings’ Department Commissioner. The cost of adding the new inspectors will be $5.3 million a year, but the Mayor reported that the city is in the “midst of a historic building boom, and the added development demands that we devote sufficient resources to aggressively enforce site safety.”

One of the advantages of additional safety inspections will be that inspectors may make unannounced inspections for the purpose of determining whether previous safety violations have been rectified. In addition, the inspectors will oversee and tighten a certification program for architects and engineers to get rid of those who have numerous code and zoning violations.

As a result of insufficient building inspectors it was cited that flawed inspection practices had led to the wrongful death of two firefighters in a 2007 blaze at the Deutsche Bank Building in Lower Manhattan. Apparently, according to investigators, building inspectors had failed to notice several violations at that site, including the dismantling of a standpipe that would have carried water to the firefighters.

When Mayor Bloomberg took office in 2002, he promised to reform the Department of Buildings, a 116 year-old institution, plagued by corruption and accused of incompetence. While some progress has been made deaths so far in 2008 are more than all of 2007!

Construction workers, and all workers, have a right to work in a reasonably safe environment. If you, a friend or family member have been severely injured because of the negligence of your employer please call the workers compensation attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, LLC, for a free consultation. We have recovered more than $50,000,000.00 for the victims of construction accidents.

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The New York Times reports, that in early June, after an unprecedented number of fatal construction worker accidents, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council have unveiled a 13 point legislative package that is intended to increase oversight of building sites and increase fines for violation, while requiring registration of all key contractors. The legislation follows an “unacceptably high number” of fatalities, according to Bloomberg. Fifteen people have already died in 2008, compared to twelve fatalities for all of 2007.

Construction companies with sketchy safety records could find permits suspended or revoked-even stopping them from doing business after repeated violations. The legislation also gives the Buildings Department the authority to assign safety monitors to those sites with repeated violations and a history of hazardous conditions. The Times went on to indicate that the new legislation will help the Buildings Department in their efforts to hold contractors more accountable for their safety records. The legislation will also introduce new training requirements and safety rules in key areas-such as crane operations.

In the coming months, Mayor Bloomberg plans to add up to fifty-six new building inspectors which will bring the total to 461-that is up from 277 in January of 2002. While the Buildings Department has issued more than 1200 ‘stop work’ orders and almost 4,000 violations in May 2008, those actions have not put an end to construction accident injuries due to negligence.

Continue reading "Mayor Bloomberg and The City Council Present New Safety Plan for Construction Sites After Unprecedented Construction Worker Deaths" »

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A crane that was working on a high rise under construction at 333 E. 91st St., collapsed this morning, killing at least 2 people, one of them a construction worker. The collapse of this enormous crane came only 2 ½ months after another crane collapse accident that killed seven people about two miles south of this location.

The building under construction was the Azure, a high-rise complex at 333 East 91st Street. A stop work order issued for the site earlier this month was fully rescinded yesterday morning, records show. Since construction had been sped up in November, the site has been the subject of 23 complaints to the Department of Buildings, records show.

Mayor Bloomberg commented on the situation, explaining that safety, not speed, was the most important issue in construction citywide.

“I don’t need any developer or union leader or anybody else telling me about the consequences of slowing things down,” Bloomberg said. “Nobody wants the economy to grow more than me, but we’re not going to kill people.”

We offer our condolences to the families of those affected by this tragedy. As more time passes and investigations are completed by the city it will become more clear as to the exact cause of this horrible construction accident. One thing is for certain, something must be done about the rash of construction related injuries in our city.

Our New York construction accident lawyers only represent individuals who are injured by negligence; injured in workplace accidents or by faulty products, equipment or machinery; or through the negligent maintenance of property. The firm has achieved great success in these specialties which are all bound together by a common thread: an individual has suffered serious physical or emotional injury.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident contact the New York Construction Accident Attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro.

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According to the New York Times, Kevin Kelly, 25, of Bayside, Queens, died after falling several stories when a safety strap intended to connect him to the building on which he was working failed. Kelly was installing windows at a condominium tower that was under construction when he fell from the 23rd floor to a 14th floor balcony at about 10:30 A.M., on April 14th.

Patricia J. Lancaster, the city’s commissioner of buildings, said that Mr. Kelly’s construction fall accident remained under investigation. A full safety inspection is under way by building and forensic engineers, and a full stop work order is in force. Ms. Lancaster reported that, “a failure of the safety strap connecting the worker to the concrete ceiling played a role.” Late Monday, the Buildings Department said the entire strap had pulled out of its steel and concrete mooring, and remained attached to his harness when he fell.

According to Ms. Lancaster the Buildings Department will investigate, “the method the crews used to install safety straps throughout the building”. During a visit to the site, Ms. Lancaster further commented, “We will be holding the individuals responsible for this terrible tragedy accountable,”-“Construction companies, owners, architects and engineers have to obey the law.”

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In a natural escalation of the recent spike in fatal NY construction accidents and administrative miscues, Patricia J. Lancaster, New York City’s first female building commissioner, resigned on Tuesday, April 22nd. She becomes the first commissioner to leave the Bloomberg administration under a cloud of public controversy. The move comes as Lancaster faced escalating pressure from City Hall and growing criticism from the media and public at large after a series of administrative blunders.

The proverbial “final straw” may have come after an appearance at a City Council hearing when she admitted that the department had mistakenly issued permits for the East Side building where a crane collapsed last month, killing seven people and injuring 24 others. According to the article, Ms. Lancaster’s performance before the council “not only cast unwanted light on her department’s bureaucratic failings” and the recent rash of construction accidents, but “also drew attention to her awkward public manner and unclear explanations that diminished her credibility”.

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It has been one thing after another since the Deutsch Bank Building was severely damaged and contaminated after the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. The New York Times reports that the troubled building has passed through a few owners and, most recently, last August 18th two firefighters were killed and two others hurt while fighting a blaze in the building. Just this week a family member of one of the dead firefighters filed suit against a government agency the sister claims created the dangerous conditions at the construction site that caused her brother’s death. Robert Beddia, 53 died as a result of toxic smoke created by the fire. Apparently, the fire was a result of a discarded cigarette on the 17th floor, and while an investigation is ongoing there are serious questions about a malfunctioning standpipe that made it impossible to bring water up above the fifth floor. The second firefighter, Joseph Graffagnino, 33, died as a direct result of the broken standpipe in the basement because it could not deliver water to the fire.

At a news conference last August, Mayor Michael Bloomberg indicated that three senior
fire officials had been relieved of their command as the investigation into the fatal fire continues. Mayor Bloomberg further commented that the local firehouse had conducted none of the required inspections of the bank building since 2006, even though it was on the edge of ground zero.

Continue reading "2 FIREFIGHTERS KILLED AND MORE HURT IN SEPARATE CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS AT THE DEUTSCH BANK BUILDING" »

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Proof positive that the dangerous nature of crane accidents are not reserved for New York alone, a seven-ton section of crane fell 30 stories in Miami recently, killing two workers and injuring 5 others. Fire and rescue officials said the collapse occurred about 1:45pm as a construction crew tried to lengthen the crane for work on a 46-story luxury high-rise overlooking Biscayne Bay. The 20 foot section dangled before dropping through the roof of the home contractors used as an office.

This crane collapse may appear eerily similar to the collapse that occurred in New York, but upon closer inspection, there are some major differences. While the cause of the collapse had not been determined, the circumstances in New York were unique, where a six-ton steel collar meant to help hold the crane in place broke free and plummeted from 18 stories high, leading the entire crane to detach from the building and fall toward the ground, with one section landing on a town house. In the Miami instance, a large 20-foot section of the crane itself weighing seven tons fell through the Spanish style home in Miami.

Continue reading "Two Killed in Crane Accident – This Time in Miami" »

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Two more construction workers died at work this last week. This coming after the New York Times reported that thousands of construction workers gathered on April 29th to mourn the loss of 13 people who have been killed in New York construction accidents just this year. Only one day later, on April 30th, another construction iron worker fell 25 feet from a building under construction on East 29th street in Manhattan.

Authorities identified the worker as Christopher Gunn. According to the authorities Gunn, 28 was attempting to maneuver a twenty foot steel I-beam that was being lifted into place by a crane. The New York construction fall accident took place at approximately 8:30AM on April 30th. Gunn fell two stories after he slipped and fell from the building that is under construction between First Avenue and Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive. The fall caused Gunn’s safety helmet to fracture and left him on a concrete slab-unconscious, according to witnesses at the scene.

The Times indicated that the federal and city Occupational and Safety Administrations are investigating the cause of several fatal construction accidents in New York City. Acting buildings administrator, Robert D. LiMandri, taking the place of Patricia Lancaster who resigned last week under heavy construction safety scrutiny, indicated, “We are going to get to the bottom of it. Development must not take place at the expense of the workers building our city.”

Continue reading "IRON WORKER CRITICALLY INJURED AFTER FALLING 25 FEET IN CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT" »

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According to the New York Times, building officials believe it was highly unlikely that a missed inspection resulted in the deaths of 7 people on March 15th, however, Edward J. Marquette, 46, was arrested anyway after he faked a report indicating that he inspected a construction crane on the East Side of Manhattan on March 4th, just 11 days before the crane collapsed killing 7 people. The deaths occurred when workers were ‘jumping’ the crane, which is the process used to add sections to the tower, making it taller.

Officials believe that the accident occurred when a 6 ton steel collar, being fitted around the crane’s tower, as a part of the bracing operation, broke free-plummeting 18 stories, and shearing off braces in place on the 9th floor. An investigation is ongoing, and in addition to the crane falling two nylon slings that had been holding a collar in place high on the crane also broke.

Patricia Lancaster, New York Buildings Commissioner commented that every crane supposedly inspected by Marquette over the last six months would be re-inspected. Further, the New York Investigations Department will be performing a full review of the Buildings Department’s cranes and derricks division.

Continue reading "7 DIE IN CRANE ACCIDENT AFTER FALSE REPORT FILED" »

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An investigation is ongoing after forty-four year-old John Rodriguez, a contract worker, died last month after being electrocuted while installing electrical cables at a Consolidated Edison power station in Queens. Rodriquez suffered a heart attack after the New York Construction Accident when he touched a highly charged cable, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, where he was pronounced dead. Mr. Rodriquez came into contact with a live wire while attempting to disconnect a ground wire from what turned out to be a live wire. Essentially, Mr. Rodriquez became the electrical conduit when he touched the live wire.

Bob McGee, a Con Edison spokesman, declined to make a comment regarding what precautions might have been taken to avoid Rodriquez’s death. Apparently, however, Con Edison has been under some scrutiny for safety and maintenance problems because of previous deaths.

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Dr. Philip Barie, the chief of the division of critical care at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “If you believe in miracles, this is one.”. Dr. Barie went on to explain, “We’re talking about tiny, tiny percentages, well under 1 percent, of people who fall that distance and survive. Above 10 stories, most of the time we never see the patients because they usually go to the morgue” Dr. Barie’s quotes refer to the surprising recovery and ongoing recuperation of Alcides Moreno, a window washer who, along with his brother, plunged 47 stories from an Upper East Side apartment building last December. The fall, which killed Alcides’ brother, Edgar, happened when the scaffold on which they were standing while working as window washers gave way, plunging both men 47 stories to certain death. Three agencies continue to investigate the work related accident.

After more than sixteen operations; twenty-four pints of blood and nineteen pints of plasma, Alcides’ surgeon, Dr. John Boockvar, an assistant professor of neurological surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University indicated that Alcides is doing remarkably well after his latest operation to stabilize Alcides’ spinal column. This latest surgery on Alcides’ spine is meant to reduce the risk of neurological injury when Alcides again begins to walk and move about. After the fall, Alcides suffered serious injuries to his brain, his chest and his abdomen, as well as several fractured ribs, a broken arm, and two broken legs. But, amazingly, after falling 47 stories, Alcides spinal cord was intact and showed no signs of injury.

Continue reading "WINDOW WASHER SURVIVES 47 FOOT FALL FROM SCAFFOLDING" »

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At least seven people were killed when a large crane collapsed Saturday afternoon at a construction site on Manhattan's East Side. The crane toppled across the street and damaged three buildings, destroying a fourth. Twenty-four were reportedly injured following the devastating NY crane accident which occurred at 303 East 51st Street, near Second Avenue, at about 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Ten people remained hospitalized, but the three critically injured victims were upgraded to serious condition.

Investigators said the collapse began Saturday afternoon as crews were "jumping" the crane - installing new sections on the 200-foot main tower to keep pace with what is to be a 43-story building. A six ton steel collar being fitted around the tower at the 18th floor somehow came loose and crashed down onto another collar on the ninth floor - snapping it loose from three 12-inch-wide steel beams that held it to the building. The three support beams were sheared off and with no supports remaining above the third floor, the 164-ton crane buckled to the south and snapped atop a building – sending a 75-foot section skidding over rooftops until the new york construction accident destroyed the four-story townhouse where two of the victims were standing in a kitchen.

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The law offices of Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro have been retained by the family of Luoro Ortega, a construction worker who was crushed to death on Wednesday, March 12th at a Brooklyn work site.

According to an article in the Daily News, Mr. Ortega, 30, of Queens was literally buried alive in the NY construction accident when an excavation caused a wall to collapse on him. William Lattarulo, 62, is owner of both the house whose wall collapsed and the lot next door where construction was occurring when the construction accident occurred. Mr. Lattarulo was cited for violating multiple building codes, including working with an expired building permit, when he hired Ortega and others to excavate under the existing home in preparation for the building of a commercial property next door.

Luttarulo’s engineer, Lewis Sanchez of Sanchez Associates had lost the privilege to perform engineering jobs in the city of New York a week earlier, due to ‘questionable practices’. Sanchez had also been previously penalized when the special enforcement team of the Buildings Department found that he was allowing his business partner to use his professional stamp to submit building applications. His partner surrendered his privileges in 2002.

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The Buildings Department issued a stop-work order against contractor Bovis Lend Lease and cited the company for not securing a chain used to hoist windows. Apparently, according to the Daily News, gusts of wind up to 50 MPH were responsible for causing loose chains to crash into the side of the Trump SoHo tower-showering glass to the streets below and cracking windows, neighborhood residents remarked. Buildings Department spokeswoman, Kate Lindquist, indicated that in addition to the falling glass approximately a dozen windows were cracked and others were removed as a precautionary measure.

Executive Director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Andrew Berman said that the SoHo project has been one disaster after another. This isn’t the first problem for the Trump project, which was cited for several building code violations after a worker fell 42 stories to his death in a new york construction accident back in January.

The winds caused general chaos on several building projects within the city when the Department cautioned and closed down several projects that posed a threat to the public. Seventy-five percent of the timber and plywood formwork located on the roof of a fifteen story West Village condominium building collapsed, according the Department’s spokeswoman, Kate Lindquist.

Continue reading "TRUMP SOHO SO CURSED-‘JUST ONE DISASTER AFTER ANOTHER’" »

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In a story reported by the New York Times, Architect, Robert Woo was seriously injured last December in a New York construction accident at the Goldman Sachs office tower, when a nylon sling failed causing seven tons of metal studs to fall crushing a construction trailer.

Two trailers were hit; about a quarter of the load hit the trailer where Mr. Woo was sitting, which was being used as an office, an official said. The Department of Buildings halted work on the office tower, but they partially reopened the site for further construction a day later.

The Times reported, that a spokeswoman for the Buildings Department Robin Brooks indicated that an investigation is ongoing as to the cause of the accident. Immediately after the New York crane accident, it was believed that a nylon sling snapped allowing the seven tons of steel to fall 13 floors. The Buildings Department issued four violations days after the accident. Violations were issued to the Tishman Construction Corporation, responsible for managing the site, at 200 Murray Street for unsafe hoisting conditions; failure to safeguard the public and property during construction operations; failure to maintain vertical netting along the sides of the building; and failure to provide toe boards, which prevent material from being pushed off the side of a building or into a shaftway. Richard M. Kielar, a spokesman for Tishman, said the project’s safety record has been excellent.

Continue reading "CRANE ACCIDENT AT GOLDMAN SAKS CONSTRUCTION SITE" »

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According to a press release yesterday by the New York City Department of Buildings, Buildings Commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster announced the launch of Phase II of the Department's Special Enforcement Plan to raise the bar for construction standards citywide to improve compliance with safety regulations and to avoid New York construction accident deaths. The proposed new rules include requiring more special safety managers at more construction sites-especially those involving concrete. Commissioner Lancaster indicated that, “concrete operations are extremely specialized and require a precise coordination or large numbers of workers.” Safety managers would be required at all buildings at least ten stories high. Present regulations require safety managers for buildings at least fifteen stories high.

According to a recent story in the New York Times, the proposed new rules will further require that general contractors, as well as those contractors working with concrete would have to register with the Buildings Department before obtaining building permits. Registration will enable the Buildings Department to better enforce present building codes and to ensure that safety violations are fined, according to Lancaster. A contractor’s record of compliance with safety and building codes, and whether or not fines have been paid, would be considered by the Department when issuing building permits. The proposed new regulations come shortly after the death of a man who plunged to his death while working on Trump’s SoHo Hotel. Yuriy Vanchytskyy fell to his death January 14, 2008, when wood forms used to hold wet concrete collapsed. According to the New York Department of Buildings’ data Vanchytskyy’s death was the third concrete operations-related death since 2006. Further, the Buildings Department reports that sixteen people have been injured in high-rise concrete construction accidents in the last two years. Sixty-one percent of forty one cases where construction materials fell from a high-rise site involved concrete.

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In Clinton Hill, a 42 year-old man, Jose Palacios, from Queens, trained as an accountant but working in construction for higher pay, died last month when he fell 12 stories after the scaffolding on which he was standing collapsed, according to the New York Times. A second man, whose name was not released, was taken to the King’s County Hospital in serious condition after falling from the same scaffold to the roof of a garage. Yet a third man was able to jump to safety on the roof. While an investigation is ongoing it appears, according to authorities, that Mr. Palacios was standing on an 18-foot-high tubular scaffold applying stucco when the scaffold collapsed beneath him. Safety netting was not in place when the Brooklyn accident took place, as is required by city law, because the Brooklyn project was nearly completed.

Wind gusts of up to 49 mph were recorded by the National Weather service, and the Department of Buildings had issued warnings to buildings and contractors earlier in the day instructing them to either, secure construction materials and tools, or to cancel work until winds subsided for fear of a dangerous construction accident.

Kate Lindquist, spokeswoman for the Buildings Department, indicated that Clinton Court Development, the Clinton project’s developer, had been cited for six violations last November.

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