Construction is widely recognized as one of the most dangerous industries in the United States. Construction injuries account for nearly one out of every five workplace accidents.
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Unfortunately, the construction industry is known for its high incidence of fatal injury. The industry has higher fatality rates than anywhere else, especially true in New York City where recent growth is spurring plenty of major construction projects.
While there are great opportunities in New York City for construction workers, it is also a dangerous place to work. Many construction workers in NYC operate on skyscrapers and other buildings, dealing with extreme heights or other safety hazards.
Consequently, NYC construction workers are not only more likely to be killed on the job but also face serious or life-threatening injuries. In fact, New York City construction has some of the most hazardous work environments. Workers are five times more likely to perish compared to other industries in the same city.
New York City has an unprecedented number of construction workers (recent estimates are well over 110,000) yet also tragically high death rates. In 2018, the number of construction workplace accidents in NYC surged to 761, a 13 percent increase from 2017.
Furthermore, while New York City construction workers only represent five percent of the city’s total workforce, it accounts for 27 percent of work-related deaths. It is a sad trend considering NYC construction accidents were on a twenty-year decline prior to 2014.
You deserve fair compensation for your injuries or the death/injuries of a loved one. NYC construction accidents are often serious. Many are fatal or severely life-altering. Therefore, it can prevent you from ever working again and create a financial burden for many individuals and families.
Medical bills do not take long to become outrageous and stack up. Where is the financial relief when you’re struggling to afford bills related to emergency visits, hospital stays, doctor visits, and prescription medications? Recovery is even harder when you can’t work and the disability benefits simply aren’t covering it.
Construction workers with significant others and children face additional challenges. You may have worry and stress about how you’ll afford rent or put food on the table. These are all challenges that construction workers injured on job sites face when worker’s compensation isn’t taking care of everything.
You need someone on your side. Mounting a defense against major construction contractors and other companies in New York City is a difficult fight. You shouldn’t go at it alone. An experienced, skilled personal injury lawyer can get adequate compensation for your injuries. Whether you are severely injured or lost a loved one because of a NYC construction accident, it is worth considering your options.
Construction injury settlements help you get the fair and adequate compensation that worker’s compensation and disability benefits may not cover. Speaking with a qualified personal injury lawyer today can get you more details about potential routes to take with litigation, and if you are entitled to a far larger payout than worker’s comp.
Despite recent efforts by federal, state, and local municipalities to improve safety laws in New York City, there is still a significant risk of injury or death. NYC construction workers face added challenges of being around untrained coworkers, noteworthy safety violations, and lax inspections.
For example, consider that 66 percent of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections found serious safety violations at NYC construction sites. Or that 89 percent of contractors working on affordable housing units received OSHA violations.
The dangers are more prevalent than one might expect. What is worse is that fewer (not more) OSHA inspections are being completed each year. Therefore, you need to take extra precautions to protect yourself because no one else will.
The first step is to file a worker’s compensation claim. Workers that are injured on a job site are eligible for worker’s comp benefits in most situations. New York City is part of the state’s “no fault” system which means you don’t have to prove someone else was responsible for your injuries. You only need to prove that you were injured, and it occurred on a job site.
However, worker’s compensation claims are not always straightforward, and you may potentially receive resistance from the insurance provider of the employer. It also may not cover all your medical expenses, lost wages, or disability benefits.
Therefore, you should also consider bringing a civil lawsuit outside worker’s comp. A surprisingly large number of people, products, or machinery can be assigned fault for your injuries. For example, faulty machinery or lack of following safety standards by suppliers, architects, and supervisors can mean they can be held liable for any related injuries.
Numerous studies have proven that construction sites are some of the most hazardous job sites in the world.
Tall heights, heavy machinery, tools, and numerous contractors all working with different teams to complete a job in a short amount of time can lead to serious accidents.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction site accident, contact a New York City personal injury lawyer today. With more than 75 years of experience behind us and millions won in successful settlements, our team has the skill to help you get the damages you need after an injury or construction-related death.
Contact the New York City construction accident lawyers at Greenberg & Stein, P.C. to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Over the years, our team has recovered millions of dollars for accident victims through claims and lawsuits – let us put this experience to work for you! The sooner you call, the sooner we can help.
Go through our video library of frequently asked questions regarding construction accidents in New York City.
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