Every day, construction workers put their lives at risk in one of the most notoriously dangerous industries in the country. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), one in five worker fatalities in 2013 were construction workers and the majority of the fatal accidents involved falls.
Under New York Labor Law § 240, also known as the Scaffold Law, project owners and general contractors bear responsibility for providing necessary safety equipment to protect workers from falling or having objects fall on them. When a worker is injured in a slip, trip, or fall accident, regardless of fault, the project owner and general contractor may be held liable for the resulting damages. Ideally, by placing liability on the project owners and construction companies, workers are ensured a safer environment. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Scaffoldings are among the most potentially hazardous places in construction work because they are often erected and demolished quickly during the course of a project. Without proper supervision or inspection, scaffolding may be unstable or unsecured, assembled incorrectly, or lack guardrails. Slippery or loose scaffolding can be particularly dangerous if workers are not provided a safety harness.
If you or someone you care about has suffered an injury or worse as a result of faulty or dangerous scaffolding in New York, it is in your best interests to contact the top construction accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP to discuss your options for legal action. You may be eligible for significant financial compensation.