Representing Workers Injured by Faulty Power Tools in NYC

Construction workers often put themselves in serious danger of suffering catastrophic injuries while working to improve New York’s roads, utilities, buildings, and infrastructures. The least they can ask for is the maximum amount of safety while on the job and to have access to reliable equipment that will allow them to perform their work efficiently and diligently. However, that is sadly not the case as many workers can suffer traumatic injuries because of a defective power tool.

Nail guns, saws, drills, blowtorches, and other power tools are extremely dangerous when improperly handled or designed. If you suffered an injury because of a defective power tool, then you should not hesitate to hold the at-fault party liable in a product liability claim. But to ensure you receive the best legal aid available, you will need to contact the New York City defective power tool attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, by calling us at (212) 986-7353 to schedule a free consultation.

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What Are Some Types of Faulty Equipment?

Manufacturers have a duty to design equipment that is free of dangerous defects, otherwise, they can seriously injure anyone who comes in contact with the device. In addition, rental companies and retailers should always ensure that their products have not fallen into disrepair while in storage so that customers are not inadvertently injured.

For construction workers, there is a wide range of equipment that can cause on-the-job injuries, including:

  • Saws
  • Welders
  • Nail guns
  • Drills
  • Blowtorches
  • Sanders
  • Grinders
  • Buffers
  • Jackhammers
  • Spray guns
  • Power washers
  • Extension cables

These products can be defective for a variety of reasons, including lacking safety guards or faulty electrical components that lead to electric shocks or even fatal electrocutions. But electrical injuries are not the only injuries workers have to worry about.

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How Can Power Tools Injure Workers?

Even when they are properly manufactured, power tools are dangerous pieces of equipment that are often used for the demolition of a building. They can use a large amount of power, meaning hundreds of volts of electricity pass through them when in use, and can cause devastating injuries to users.

Construction workers who are injured by defective power tools often suffer:

In many cases, the defective power tool was part of a chain of events that led to another accident, such as a falling object or serious fall that further injured the worker. While the worker could pursue damages in a workers’ compensation claim if the construction supervisor did not set up the scaffolding correctly or employ anti-fall systems, they can also file a product liability claim if it is discovered that a faulty power tool caused the fall.

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Who Is to Blame for Your Injuries?

Defective power tools are often the result of a manufacturing error or design flaws, which means that the company that produced the product is likely the one at fault. In this instance, if the product injured you, you could pursue a product liability claim against the manufacturer. However, other parties must also be investigated. In some cases, the defect was not the result of a manufacturing error but a mishandling on the part of a retailer or even another construction worker.

Retailers should always properly store power tools until they are ready for sale and, if a product is damaged, they should immediately pull it off the shelves. If at any point another customer damaged the product or returned it in a state of disrepair, the retailer has a duty to properly submit it for repairs before it can be sold to another worker. In addition, some companies rent equipment for short-term projects and should also make sure they are safe for use.

In some cases, the product was completely functional until it was used on a job, but another worker’s mishandling of it caused a defect. Both workers and supervisors should ensure all equipment is safe for use and, if a component or part could cause an injury, replace it instead of allowing anyone from using it. Failure to do so could not only lead to a workers’ compensation claim, but also a claim against the worker who damaged it if they are a third-party contractor.

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Contact a Compassionate New York City Construction Accident Law Firm

Construction workers should be able to trust that the equipment they use is going to be free of defects and ensure they can do their jobs safely. However, when those tools are damaged, faulty, or defective, they can be extremely dangerous and result in costly injuries that follow the worker for the rest of their lives. However, many victims of defective power tools are eligible for proper compensation that includes all of the damages they have suffered at the hands of a negligent manufacturer.

If you were injured due to a faulty power tool, then reach out to the NYC construction accident attorney at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP. Our legal team is made up of lawyers who have passionately advocated for injured construction workers throughout New York City and can employ all of our resources to get you the compensation you need and deserve. Call us at (212) 986-7353 to learn how we can represent you after a serious injury.

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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

$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 - Day Laborer Injured at Construction Site

50-year-old day laborer injured at his job site, an apartment building in the Bronx.

Bryce Moses

$5.75 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

$5.4 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 - 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 - 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

$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

$4.5 Million - Non-Union Laborer Injured in Construction Site Fall

Attorneys obtained a pre-trial settlement in the amount of $4.5 million for a non-union laborer who fell through an opening on the first floor into a cellar below a Manhattan high-rise building under construction.

Noah Katz, Kenneth Halperin

$4.5 Million - Worker Injured in Slip and Fall on Construction Site

Carmine Goncalves and Bryce Moses obtained a large settlement on behalf of our client, a construction worker, who sustained multiple injuries in a workplace fall.

Carmine Goncalves, Bryce Moses

$4.5 Million - Union Bridge Painter Injured in Fall

Frank J. Lombardo and Carmine Goncalves obtained a large settlement on behalf of our client, a union bridge painter, who sustained multiple injuries in a workplace accident.

Frank Lombardo, Carmine Goncalves

$4.5 Million - Union Carpenter Struck By Falling Object

Frank Lombardo and Ross Barbour successfully represented a 58-year-old union carpenter who was injured when he was struck by a falling object.

Frank Lombardo, Ross Barbour

Click here to see more NY Construction Accident Verdicts & Settlements