A Brooklyn contracting company has been cited in connection with a construction site accident where a 51-year-old laborer was killed after falling while pouring concrete.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the laborer was killed while working at a construction site on Neptune Avenue in Brighton Beach back in April 2015. Officials say he fell while raking freshly poured concrete from the sixth floor.
OSHA has determined that his tragic death could have been prevented had proper safety precautions been taken. Investigators believe that the victim and his co-workers were not provided fall protection equipment such as harnesses or lifelines. Furthermore, their employer had not trained them on how to reduce fall hazards. OSHA ultimately decided to cite J&M Metro General Contracting for one willful violation for the lack of fall protection and five serious violations for other hazards.
Falls are the leading cause of work-related deaths in construction. In fact, falls are the cause of one-third of all deaths in the industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 828 construction fatalities suffered in the year 2013, 291 involved fatal falls to a lower level.
If you have lost a loved one in a fatal work-related accident, you may be entitled to death benefits through workers’ compensation insurance. But, workers’ compensation will not cover all of your losses.
Additional support may also be available through civil litigation against the parties responsible for the fall. If negligence contributed to the accident, you may be able to receive support for medical and funeral bills, lost future wages, pain and suffering, and other related damages.
Losing a loved one in a work-related accident can prove as financially crippling as it is emotionally crushing. Make sure you receive the financial support you need as your family tries to heal.
Contact an experienced New York City construction accident for more information about pursuing your legal rights. Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP can help.
Contact us at (212) 986-7353.