Construction is booming across New York City, and Brooklyn is leading the charge. But alongside this building boom comes an unsettling reality: Brooklyn has become a hotspot for construction site violations, putting workers and bystanders at serious risk.
Data from the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) reveals that Brooklyn consistently ranks among the boroughs with the highest number of worksite violations and fines. For injured workers, this creates powerful evidence of negligence, but it also opens the door for legal action.
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we’ve spent decades representing injured construction workers and understand how these violations can impact the success of a claim.
If you or someone you love has been hurt on a jobsite, understanding the connection between Brooklyn construction violation injuries and negligence is essential to protecting your rights.
Brooklyn: A Hotbed for Construction Violations
The New York City DOB releases detailed data on construction site inspections, violations, and fines. According to reports:
- DOB inspectors regularly cite Brooklyn jobsites for unsafe conditions such as missing fall protection, inadequate scaffolding, unsecured materials, and failure to follow approved building plans.
- DOB fines in Brooklyn can often reach over $100,000 for a single unsafe condition.
Several high-profile accidents and site shutdowns have further highlighted the borough’s construction safety crisis. In many cases, the violations that preceded these accidents were clear red flags that employers and site managers failed to address.
Common Violations Leading to Injuries in Brooklyn
Certain patterns emerge when examining injuries at unsafe construction sites in Brooklyn. The most common and dangerous violations include:
- Failure to provide fall protection: Falls from ladders, scaffolds, and rooftops remain the leading cause of fatal construction accidents.
- Unsafe scaffolding: Improperly assembled scaffolding can collapse or tip over.
- Trench and excavation violations: Poorly supported trenches are prone to collapse, burying workers under heavy soil.
- Material storage hazards: Unsecured building materials can fall, shift, or collapse onto workers.
- Lack of proper site supervision: Many Brooklyn construction lawsuits stem from employers failing to maintain safe job site practices.
When safety inspectors cite these violations in Brooklyn, it can serve as direct evidence of an employer’s negligence.
OSHA Violations and Local Trends
Federal oversight by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) further underscores the issue. Brooklyn companies frequently appear in OSHA enforcement actions for failing to adhere to basic safety standards.
In Brooklyn, OSHA violations often involve:
- Failure to provide personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Ignoring regulations on fall prevention
- Allowing unsafe demolition practices
- Electrical hazards on active sites
When OSHA finds violations, its citations and penalties can significantly strengthen an injured worker’s claim, particularly when arguing that the injury was the foreseeable result of ignored safety standards.
If you’ve been hurt and OSHA has found violations on your jobsite, those findings can be used to bolster your Brooklyn construction injury lawsuit, potentially leading to a larger settlement or verdict.
How DOB Fines in Brooklyn Impact Negligence Claims
DOB fines in Brooklyn are not just financial penalties. They document serious wrongdoing.
In a construction injury case, proving that a contractor or property owner knew or should have known about a hazardous condition is crucial to establishing liability. A DOB-issued violation can provide:
- Proof of notice: Showing that a dangerous condition was flagged before your injury occurred.
- Proof of non-compliance: Demonstrating that safety standards were actively ignored.
- Proof of risk: Establishing that the hazard was serious enough to warrant official fines.
At WRSMH, we routinely review DOB records, OSHA reports, and prior site inspection histories when building the strongest possible case for our clients.
Legal Options After a Construction Injury in Brooklyn
If you were injured due to a construction violation in Brooklyn, you have several legal avenues available. These may include:
- Workers’ compensation: This covers medical bills and partial wage replacement, but does not compensate for pain and suffering.
- Third-party lawsuits: If a negligent general contractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer contributed to your injury, you may have the right to pursue a personal injury claim.
- Labor Law claims: New York’s Labor Law 240 and 241 offer powerful protections for construction workers injured due to falls or unsafe conditions.
Unlike workers’ compensation, third-party and Labor Law claims allow you to seek full compensation for all your damages, including pain and suffering, future medical care, and lost earning capacity.
Why Brooklyn Construction Sites Are So Risky
Several factors contribute to Brooklyn’s high violation rates:
- Tight building spaces: Brooklyn’s dense urban environment means sites are squeezed between buildings, complicating logistics and safety.
- Old infrastructure: Working around aged utility lines, unstable foundations, and pre-existing structures increases risk.
- Rapid pace of construction: Developers rushing to complete projects sometimes prioritize speed over safety.
- Inexperienced workers: The influx of new construction laborers, some improperly trained, also increases the likelihood of job site mistakes.
What to Do If You’re Injured on a Brooklyn Construction Site
If you suffer an injury due to unsafe conditions or violations, it’s essential to act quickly:
- Report the injury to your supervisor immediately and seek medical treatment.
- Document the scene if you are able, including photos of the unsafe condition and contact information from witnesses.
- Request records, such as copies of any incident reports.
- Consult an attorney before giving any formal statements to insurance companies.
The sooner you engage a knowledgeable Brooklyn construction accident lawyer, the better positioned you are to collect crucial evidence that can support your claim, including DOB fines and OSHA violations.
At WRSMH, we believe in thorough preparation. We leave no stone unturned, examining every aspect of your accident to build a case strong enough for the crucible of the courtroom.
Talk to a Brooklyn Construction Injury Lawyer Today
If you have been seriously hurt on a construction site in Brooklyn, you have the right to seek compensation to cover the cost of your medical bills and other expenses.
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we’ve been standing up for injured construction workers in Brooklyn for over 50 years. In fact, we’ve won more than $2 billion for our clients, and we’re proud to be recognized as one of the Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report.
Call (212) 986-7353 to schedule your free consultation at our law firm.