The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that falls are the leading cause of fatal construction accidents, causing 264 deaths, a figure which accounts for more than one-third of all construction worker deaths in 2010. A large percentage of falls which result in severe injury or death involve accident victims who are working on scaffolding, including suspended scaffolding, fixed scaffolding and mobile scaffolding.
A study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of workers who suffered injuries in accidents on and around scaffolding, 72% stated that the accident was a result of the planking giving way, a slip on the part of the worker or a falling object striking a worker on the ground.
In recognition of the dangers inherent in working on and around scaffolding, OSHA provides dozens of safety regulations and numerous checklists to help construction crew supervisors and their workers prevent accidents, such as the requirement of providing a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) with a harness and lifeline attached to anchors.
Additionally, New York Labor Law § 240 specifically lists out requirements for the safe construction and assembly of scaffolding in our state, including stipulations that the structure be built to bear four times the maximum weight it is intended to carry and having a safety rail on any scaffolding which stands more than twenty-three feet above the ground. If your fall or scaffolding collapse was caused by violations of such regulations, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim.
Whether you were struck from above by tools or other objects falling from the scaffolding, if you personally suffered catastrophic injuries in a fall or if you need to file a wrongful death claim for the loss of a loved one, an attorney from Greenberg & Stein, P.C. is ready to meet with you for a consultation. We can come to you in your home or at the hospital, and will discuss your situation to determine how much your claim may be worth in a settlement.
We will carefully investigate the circumstances of your accident to isolate the causes. This may include interviewing the supervisor and your co-workers, searching for answers to questions such as “Were all the applicable OSHA and state safety regulations followed?” “Did the construction company provide proper training in safety techniques for working on and around scaffolding?” “Were you supplied with the necessary safety equipment?” and “Is someone directly at fault for causing the accident through negligence?”
Using all the evidence we can gather regarding the cause of the accident and the full financial impact of your accident, we will assist you in filing your claim for compensation, and will use our full 50 years of combined litigation experience in pursuing the largest settlement possible.
