Injured on the Job? Legal Representation for Injured Carpenters in Manhattan
Carpenters are among the most talented artisans working in the Manhattan area. The work performed by these professionals is relied upon by homeowners, property managers, developers, and any entity building or upgrading a property. The scope of tasks performed by carpenters include work that is physically demanding and comes with inherent risks. When a carpenter is injured while performing work duties, he or she may be left unable to work, earn a living, or live with chronic pain and suffering. Injured carpenters have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits to help them regain their health and pay for basic needs during recovery.
Fatal Injuries and Wrongful Death Claims
In many very tragic cases, a carpenter dies due to the extent of the injuries sustained, leaving his or her family bereft, while facing severe financial stress. The close family also has a right to workers’ compensation benefits when a workplace injury leads to death. For assistance with an injury claim, contact the Manhattan construction accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP at (212) 986-7353 to discuss the details of your case.
Carpenters Working In Manhattan: Most Common Accidents
Carpenters perform a wide range of duties, working on properties of every size, from individual homes to the largest commercial buildings. They are often put in situations that lead to serious or fatal injuries, including but not limited to:
- Slips, trips, and falls: Carpenters are often working in busy construction sites, where various tools and materials clutter the walking surfaces, the floors are uneven or have openings to floors below, leading to a slip or trip and fall with serious consequences.
- Falls from heights: Many job sites in the Manhattan area are larger projects, with many floors, uneven or unsecured walking surfaces, areas open to lower floors, scaffolding, and other risks that can lead to a fall from heights, with serious or fatal consequences.
- Electrical injuries: Buildings in the process of an upgrade, or a new build, may have live electrical current present at various times during construction. Electrical shocks can lead to extreme physical damage, including severe burns, damaged internal organs and soft tissues, heart problems, or loss of life.
- Crush injuries: A carpenter working on a project in Manhattan is in a dangerous environment, often with various types of heavy machinery, cranes lifting materials, and other types of dangerous conditions that can lead to a crush injury with tragic consequences, including amputations, permanent disabilities, or loss of life.
What Are the Most Common Types of Injuries Sustained by Carpenters?
- Traumatic brain injuries: A blow to the head caused by a falling tool, being caught in or between, falling materials, or a fall can lead to a carpenter suffering a traumatic brain injury. The traumatic brain injury can cause the carpenter to be rendered unable to work, due to physical and cognitive disabilities, or worse, be left in a long-term coma or a vegetative state.
- Deep lacerations: Lacerations from falling objects, power tools, or another dangerous situation on the jobsite.
- Hand injuries: Hand or finger amputation, crushes, cut tendons, ligaments, or bone breaks in the hand can leave a carpenter unable to work in his or her profession.
- Eye injuries: A flying particle or object can permanently damage the eyes.
- Hearing loss: Jobs that involve the use of high decibel tools, or an impact on the ear area, can lead to permanent hearing loss.
- Spinal cord injuries: An injury to the spinal cord is one of the most serious of all injuries, as the individual may face the future with life forever altered, living with the consequences of paralysis, whether paraplegia or quadriplegia.
- Wrongful death: In some cases, the injuries sustained are so severe that the carpenter passes away. In these cases, the close family can face extreme financial troubles, coupled with the devastation that accompanies the loss of a loved one.
How Will Liability Be Determined?
Determining liability after serious injuries on a construction site will require a full investigation into the facts. In some cases, a third party may have contributed to the injuries or death by providing faulty equipment, poorly maintained equipment, wrongly installed electrical utilities, faulty scaffolding, or other dangerous conditions.
While an injured worker has a right to expect workers’ compensation benefits to pay for medical care and treatment, retraining, and the basic cost of living, in some cases an employer may challenge a claim, a claim can be denied, or other problems. At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, our legal team has a reputation for legal excellence in workplace injury claims, including workers’ comp benefits and third party lawsuits.
Forms of Compensation
An injured carpenter may be able to access various types of compensation through the workers’ compensation system, including:
- A percentage of lost wages
- The costs associated with medical care and rehabilitation
- Job retraining
- Permanent injury coverage
- Death benefits
How a Manhattan Work Injury Attorney Can Help You Seek Justice
After a serious injury sustained by a carpenter working on any project in the Manhattan area, it is imperative to engage legal representation to assist in the pursuit of fair and full compensation – from every possible source. Contact a Manhattan carpenter injury attorney Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP at (212) 986-7353 to discuss the details of your case.