Injured in a Construction Accident in Manhattan?
Construction workers are exposed to countless risks and hazards every day. The use of heavy machinery, power tools, proximity to electrical power, and work performed at great heights make the construction business extremely dangerous. Construction workers must deal with daily challenges and may share a worksite with fellow employees or contractors who, through acts of negligence, cause serious injuries or death. At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, our legal team is proud to represent Manhattan’s unsung heroes – construction workers who have risked their lives building homes, offices, and other structures we use, rely on, and enjoy on a daily basis.
Over the years of representing injured construction workers, our Manhattan construction accident lawyers at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP have repeatedly seen the terrible impact a serious injury brings to the lives, health, and wellbeing of innocent workers. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured while working on a construction site, we urge you to contact our firm at (212) 986-7353 to speak with us about your case.
Common Types of Construction Accidents in Manhattan
Construction is one of the busiest industries in Manhattan and other boroughs, with thousands of construction workers involved in projects of all sizes across the region. Sadly, dangerous, or deadly accidents on building sites throughout Manhattan are not rare, and often one of what OSHA (U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration) calls the “fatal four” – four types of accidents that statistically most often lead to death:
- Falls: Falls from heights are one of the leading causes of serious or fatal injuries on construction sites. While Manhattan construction projects are subject to very strict city and state regulations, not all construction firms follow safety regulations. Falls from heights, scaffolding falls, or falls through floor or roof openings, or even what may seem like a simple trip and fall can cause severe or fatal injuries.
- Struck by an Object: Construction workers can be struck by a flying, falling, swinging, or rolling object. One of the most common “struck by” accidents are vehicle related. Other “struck by” injuries can occur due to improperly stacked materials, flying particles, improperly controlled power tools, materials falling, dropped tools, compressed air, nails from nail guns, or the collapse of a structure with poor bracing or construction. Any of these incidents, or other similar incidents, can leave a construction worker suffering permanent physical damage, unable to work, or worse.
- Electrocutions: Electrical accidents are unfortunately, fairly common on Manhattan construction sites. Burns, shock, injuries from an arc flash or blast, or contact with live electricity can leave a worker with permanent physical damage, disfiguring burns, and unable to continue to work for months, years, or a lifetime.
- Caught in or Between: Construction workers can be seriously or fatally injured by being squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed between two objects on a construction site. Among other risks, these dangerous or fatal accidents can involve trench cave-ins, clothing or body parts being pulled into machinery, or being compressed between moving equipment and stationary objects.
Common Construction Accident Injuries in Manhattan
The consequences of a construction accident can last a lifetime. A construction worker can face the future unable to earn a living, permanently disabled and without the ability to support themselves or their families. Some of the most common serious or catastrophic injuries sustained on construction sites include but are not limited to:
- Brain Injuries: Traumatic brain injuries can lead to permanent physical, mental, and emotional damage, leaving the injured person unable to function, enjoy life, or perform daily tasks without assistance, in a coma or a vegetative condition.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal cord injuries are among the most debilitating of all construction injuries, leaving workers with serious physical disabilities, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia, the inability to work, function normally in life, or experience the quality of life enjoyed before the accident.
- Amputations: Loss of an arm, hand, foot, or leg permanently reduces the quality of life of an injured worker, who will face a long and grueling rehabilitation, the use of prosthetics, and a future of a limited ability to work and earn a living.
- Internal Injuries: Internal injuries may include internal bleeding, rib and upper body injuries, organ damage, blood vessel ruptures, and other serious injuries that are difficult to resolve. These occur as the result of penetrations from objects or the blunt trauma from being caught in between or crush injuries.
- Severe Burns: Contact with live electricity, whether by arcing or contact with the body or equipment often causes severe disfiguring burns which require extensive medical attention, and often leads to permanent disabilities.
- Disfiguring Injuries: When the face or other visible area is seriously injured, whether by burns, cuts, lacerations, or a crush incident, the person faces both physical and emotional damage.
Statute of Limitations – Your Right to Pursue Compensation
Under NY state law, you have three years from the incident in which to file a lawsuit against a negligent party for a construction accident. It is necessary to file the lawsuit within the time limit outlined in law, or you could lose your right to seek compensation for damages. While an injured construction worker has the right to workers’ compensation benefits, these benefits are rarely enough, and valid claims may be denied, leaving you without resources to live.
A full evaluation of the incident will reveal whether a third party lawsuit could be filed against another party on the jobsite. Our firm assists with workers’ compensation challenges such as denied claims, wrongful death claims, and cases of gross negligence on the part of an employer.
Types of Damages in Construction Accidents
The types of damages pursued in a lawsuit will include:
- Economic Damages: The actual financial losses associated with the injuries, including lost wages, cost of medical care, future estimated financial losses, loss of earning capacity, and other hard costs.
- Non-Economic Damages: Often the largest percentage of an injury claim, these damages reflect the pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and other personal losses resulting from the injury.
Legal Representation for Construction Workers in Manhattan
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, our Manhattan personal injury lawyers have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for our clients over our years in practice. Our legal team is highly regarded in the legal field and widely recognized for their achievements in construction accident lawsuits and claims.
Call WRSMH at (212) 986-7353 to discuss your case if you have been injured while working as a bricklayer, carpenter, or other type of construction worker.