Injured While Working on a New York City Cell Tower?
In today's fast-paced world, it's hard to imagine life without cell phones. We rely on them for communication, directions, entertainment, and so much more. That's why it's important to have a reliable wireless network, and that's where cell tower workers come in. They bravely scale tall towers to make sure our calls go through, regardless of the weather conditions.
Although they perform a valuable service, cell tower workers are at risk of serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been injured while working on a cell tower in New York City, you may be entitled to compensation. The experienced team at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP can help you navigate the legal system and greatly improve your chances of obtaining the compensation you deserve. Contact us today at (212) 986-7353 for a free consultation.
What Causes Cell Phone Tower Accidents?
Most cell phone tower accidents are the result of negligence on the part of the employer or contractor. This can take many forms including:
- Providing defective or inadequate safety equipment
- Inadequate safety training
- Asking workers to operate in unsafe weather conditions
- Pushing workers to “cut corners” for the sake of time
- Pushing workers to rush a job to meet a deadline
- Failure to check whether a safety device is adequate
- Lack of supervision or inadequate supervision
- Exposing workers to dangerous electrical currents
- Use of shoddy equipment
- Unqualified contractors, subcontractors, and employees
- Failure to respond to a known safety hazard
Cell Tower Workers, Failed by Their Industry
Given the sheer size of cell phone organizations, it is not surprising that cell tower workers often find themselves in dangerous situations. Sadly, this was the case for Michael Vasquez, who lost his life after falling from a cell tower on December 4, 2021. Vasquez’s death was a tragic accident, and it highlights the need for better safety standards in the cell tower industry. Going forward, employers must do more to protect their workers, and government agencies must provide stronger oversight to ensure that cell tower workers are not put at risk. Only by taking these steps can we prevent another tragedy like the one that claimed Michael Vasquez's life.
Types of Compensation
Most employers are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance as it is a federal program. Workers' compensation protects an employee that has been injured while on the job. This insurance was designed to be “no-fault” insurance. This means that the worker does not need to prove fault to receive benefits for their injury. Generally, it covers:
- Medical treatment relating to the injury, including therapies and rehabilitation
- A portion of your wages lost while you took time off work during recovery
- Job retraining if you can't go back to your pre-accident job
- Transportation to medical appointments
- Survivor benefits for family members/dependents of a worker who died as a result of their job
How Can an Attorney Help My NYC Cell Phone Tower Accident Case?
Cell tower accidents are on the rise, and workers are being injured or killed in preventable accidents. The cell phone industry has been slow to respond to this problem, and workers are being left to fend for themselves. At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we believe that workers should not have to sacrifice their safety for their job. We are dedicated to fighting for the rights of workers and their families. If you or someone you love has been injured in a cell tower accident, we can help. We understand the physical and emotional toll that these accidents can take, and we will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today at (212) 986-7353 to learn more about how our NYC cell tower accident attorneys can help.
Additional Information
Our Construction Accident Case Results
$18 Million - Verdict for Construction Worker Who Fell from a Defective Scaffold
The laborer fell three stories from a defective scaffold and suffered comminuted fractures of his left calcaneus, osteomyelitis in the left heel and a painful neuroma in his foot.
Philip Russotti
$11.76 Million - Labor Law Construction Accident with Single-Level Lumbar Fusion
Frank Lombardo obtained $11.76 million in Queens County for a seriously injured Union Local No. 1 journeyman plumber.
Frank Lombardo
$11.1 Million - NY Construction Worker Fell from Ladder
Phil Russotti obtained an $11.1 million verdict in Queens County Supreme Court, for a 53 year old man who was injured on a construction site at a New York City High School.
Philip Russotti
$8.2 Million - New York Construction Worker Paralyzed in Fall
Plaintiff, a 40 year-old, undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, was working off the books for a roofing contractor when he fell through a hole in the first floor of a one family home he was working in.
Kenneth Halperin, Philip Russotti
$8 Million - Crane Operator Injured on Site in Trip-and-Fall
Konstantin Burshteyn successfully represented a client, a crane operator, who sustained injuries after tripping and falling at a Brooklyn construction site.
Konstantin Burshteyn
$7.25 Million - Defective Scaffolding Injury in New York
Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP attorneys Phil Russotti and Ken Halperin settled the case of a union-affiliated painter in his 40s, who was injured while working at a chemical storage facility.
Kenneth Halperin, Philip Russotti
$6.5 Million - Carpenter Injured from Fall at Jobsite
David M. Hoffman obtained a settlement of $6,500,000 for a client who was injured in a fall on a jobsite resulting in suffered serious and permanent trauma to his head.
David Hoffman
$6.5 Million - Serious Fall by Undocumented Laborer
Konstantin Burshteyn successfully represented a client, an undocumented laborer from El Salvador, who was seriously injured in a fall while working as a roofer.
Konstantin Burshteyn
$6.4 Million - Injured Union Concrete Workers
WRSMH attorneys obtained a total of $6,400,000 for multiple cases involving injured union concrete workers who were hurt on a construction site.
Noah Katz, Michael Zisser
$5.9 Million - Construction Worker Struck by a Falling Object
Carmine Goncalves obtained a large settlement on behalf of our client, a union construction worker, who sustained injuries after being struck by a falling object.
Carmine Goncalves
$5.75 Million - Falling Beam Injuries on Construction Site
The firm successfully represented a construction worker who sustained injuries which required multiple surgeries after he was struck by a falling beam while working on a construction site.
William Hepner
$5.75 Million - Day Laborer Injured at Construction Site
50-year-old day laborer injured at his job site, an apartment building in the Bronx.
Bryce Moses
$5.4 Million - Faulty Chain Harness Drops Worker from Building
WRSMH attorneys represented a client, a concrete worker, who suffered serious injuries in a fall while performing his job.
Carmine Goncalves, Erin Hurley
$5.3 Million - Non-Union Construction Worker Injured by Table Saw
The firm successfully represented a non-union construction worker who was seriously injured while operating a table saw which lacked a safety guard.
Noah Katz
$5 Million - Union Worker Struck by Falling Object
Bryce Moses and Carmine Goncalves successfully represented a union worker who sustained injuries after being struck by an object on a construction site.
Bryce Moses, Carmine Goncalves
$5 Million - Worker Injured in Trench Fall at Construction Site
David M. Hoffman obtained a settlement of $5,000,000 for a client who sustained multiple injuries after falling into an unprotected trench at a construction site.
David Hoffman
$5 Million - Unguarded Demolition Saw Injures Construction Worker in Slip-and-Fall Accident
Stephen Wagner successfully represented a client, an undocumented construction worker, who sustained a partial amputation and permanent nerve damage in a saw accident.
Stephen Wagner
$5 Million - Staten Island Construction Worker Killed When Trench Walls Collapse
Clifford Shapiro and Kenneth Halperin worked together to obtain a $5,000,000.00 settlement for the family of a construction worker who was killed while working in a trench at a construction site on Staten Island.
Clifford Shapiro, Kenneth Halperin
$5 Million - Construction Worker Injured by Unhinged Door
Plaintiff, a union worker, sustained multiple serious injuries as the result of being struck on the head by an unhinged door.
Kenneth Halperin, Bryce Moses
$4.9 Million - Bridge Painter Falls Through Open Scaffold Above Roadway
Our client, a union bridge painter, suffered multiple injuries after a fall from an open scaffold above a roadway in New York.
Carmine Goncalves