Representing New York Utility Workers Injured on the Job

Utility workers are at serious risk of harm while on the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has guidelines in place to help NYC utility workers avoid injuries, but when these standards are not met by employers, the consequences can be dire.

Even when a utility worker does everything right, an accident can still result in painful injuries or lifelong disabilities. When an injury is caused by someone else's negligence, there are ways to hold them accountable for their actions. Regardless of how the accident happened, the injured utility workers should also be covered under NY workers' compensation.

If you or a loved one is a utility worker who has been injured on the job in New York, call Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, at (212) 986-7353 to speak to an experienced NYC utility injury attorney. We can help you file a claim for compensation, and go after any third party that was responsible for your injury.

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The Importance of Utility Workers

Utility workers are responsible for keeping society running in many ways. Most of us rely on electricity and gas power from when we wake up in the morning to when we go to bed at night. When we flush a toilet, we expect it to work properly. And when we turn on a tap, we get clean running water coming through our pipes. All of these things function thanks to utility workers.

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What Are Risks to Utility Workers?

Though utility workers are incredibly important for society, the nature of their jobs puts them at risk for serious injuries and disabilities. Some of the most common risks to utility workers include:

  • Slips, trips, and falls: Among the most common accidents in any workplace, trips and falls are always around the corner. Since many utility workers have to work on power lines or in sewer tunnels, they face added dangers from these unpredictable environments.
  • Falls from heights: Utility workers are often on ladders, cranes, and other elevated areas to get the job done. A fall from such a height can be deadly.
  • Electric shocks: Any utility worker employed by an electric company must be careful when dealing with power lines and other electric currents. Utility workers in other fields must be wary of electric shocks while using machinery or working near power lines.
  • Dust: Dust can include all kinds of harmful particulates, like toxic chemicals and natural elements that can do serious damage to the lungs. Utility workers may be exposed to high levels of asbestos while in buildings, as well as other chemicals. Inhalation of hazardous dust can cause terminal illnesses.
  • Physical stressors: The day-to-day tasks utility workers perform can put them at risk of an overuse injury. Without stretching and exercise routines, the repeated standing, crouching, and bending while on the job can result in chronic pain for workers.

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What Are Common Utility Worker Injuries?

Depending on the accident a utility worker is involved in, there are different ways in which he or she can be injured. Some common injuries include:

The injuries that utility workers suffer can present life-long complications for the worker and his or her family. But utility workers do not have to suffer in silence. If someone else's negligence caused the injury, that person or company may be held liable - and utility accidents are covered by workers' compensation in New York. After any workplace injury, call Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, at (212) 986-7353 to talk about your options for receiving compensation. There is no fee to talk to our top NYC workers’ comp attorneys.

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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 - 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, Fatos Dervishi

$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

$5.3 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, Fatos Dervishi

$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

$4.5 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 - 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 - 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

$4.27 Million - Paralyzed Construction Worker

Bryce Moses conveyed to the jury that the landowners were responsible for the accident and was able to obtain $4.27 million dollar recovery despite the fact there was only 4 Million Dollars in insurance coverage.

Bryce Moses

$4.1 Million - Construction Site Ladder Fall

WRSMH attorneys obtained a $4,100,000.00 settlement for a 44-year-old carpenter who was injured while working at a construction site.

Kenneth Halperin

$4 Million - Fall from Faulty A-Frame Ladder

David M. Hoffman obtained a large settlement for a client who sustained multiple serious injuries in a fall from a faulty a-frame ladder.

David Hoffman

Click here to see more NY Construction Accident Verdicts & Settlements