WESTCHESTER CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT
Mahopac was the scene of a tragic construction accident on January 17, 2023 when a scaffold collapsed at a Mahopac construction site. At 3:30 p.m., when Putnam County emergency responders were sent to the Lake Secor area of Mahopac Falls to help the two injured construction workers and due to the seriousness of the injuries, a helicopter had to rush one of the construction workers to the hospital
This accident comes just six months after a roofing contractor faced the possibility of $1.3 million penalty after a worker fell to his death on a Spring Valley construction job. The roofing contractor had a long history of being fined for unsafe working conditions. Despite being fined for unsafe working conditions, the roofing company continued its business model of cutting corners and exposing its workers to unsafe practices and site conditions which ultimately culminated on one fatality.
After arriving at the scene, firefighters confirmed that two men were injured from the fall and requested help from the Carmel building inspector, and when the inspector arrived, he determined that the scaffolding collapse was due to poor construction and the incident is currently under investigation. Our White Plains construction accident lawyers with significant experience in scaffolding collapse accidents know that New York's Labor Law 240, which is commonly known as the Scaffold Law requires that all construction general contractors and land owners, provide safe scaffolds which support the workers and their materials. When a construction worker is injured in a construction accident they are entitled to workers compensation, and when a construction worker is provided with an unsafe scaffold that collapses while they are working, they can sue the landowner and general contractors pain, sufffering and disability which were caused by the site owners violation of Labor Law 240.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020 there were 59 fatal work injuries in 2020 for New York City and 4,764 fatal work injuries in 2020, which represents an 11-percent decrease from 5,333 in 2019. In 2020, the private construction industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in New York City with 13 construction accidents involving fatalities. Falls from height accounted for 41 per cent of construction worker deaths in 2021. Falls, slips and trips were the second leading cause of death due to construction accidents in New York. This includes falling from heights, slipping and tripping on uneven surfaces or other hazardous conditions. Other common causes of these injuries include inadequate safety equipment, dangerous machinery and lack of proper training. Our NYC and White Plains construction lawyers know that Labor Law 240 does not only require safe and well built scaffolds, it requires protection against falls from elevated work surfaces in general. In other words this means that general constractors and site owners are required to also provide fall protection including harnesses and life lines to break a fall.
The Westchester construction accident lawyers at the Law Office of Michael H. Joseph PLLC are available to provide legal help if you or a family member have been injured in an accident on a construction site. Our Westchester construction accident attorneys will review all of your options for getting compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages stemming from a construction accident. Contact us today for a free consultation with our Westchester personal injury lawyers. We never collect any fees unless we win your case. Call us today at 914-574-8330..
