A 50-year-old construction worker fell several feet from a ladder on a construction site in an MTA subway, it has been reported this week. The site, which is subterranean, is situated on Second Avenue and 69th Street on the Upper East Side.
Because the accident happened below ground, the man was retrieved by firefighters by hoisting him out while he was still conscious. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, but so far it has been revealed that he received head and shoulder injuries that are reportedly minor. If that’s the case, he was lucky to have not been injured more seriously.
Falling off a ladder from a dangerous height is a common construction site accident and often results in serious injuries such as broken bones, traumatic brain injury and life-altering back injuries. Falls like these should not happen, as there are required safety measures in force to protect workers from falling if they slip while on a ladder. One of these is the wearing of a safety harness. If a slip takes place, the worker is more likely to be able to stay on the ladder and not fall to the ground.
At this stage, no details have been revealed as to the cause of this recent accident and if anyone else was at fault. So often on construction sites when safety equipment is available, either the supervisor/employer or the worker doesn’t know about the equipment that is available to prevent a fall or it’s not made easily accessible.
If in this incident the worker was not issued with the required safety equipment, the company responsible for hiring the worker may be found at fault. If the injuries are on examination considered to be serious, requiring treatment or hospitalization, the victim may be entitled to file a personal injury claim.
Workers’ compensation may also be an entitlement, but on many construction sites there are often a number of contractors and subcontractors involved on many different jobs. Often finding out who is responsible for paying compensation is extremely difficult. There is still the opportunity for workers in this situation to contact a personal injury lawyer to assess their eligibility to file a personal injury claim against the person who was found to be responsible for the accident.
According to our Floral Park NYC construction accident lawyer, injured workers and their families can rely on workers’ compensation for recovery. However, when a worker suffers devastating injuries, workers’ comp cannot simply cover everything. In such cases, personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits are available to victims and their families to receive economic and non-economic damages. Compensation from a successful claim may include medical costs, loss of earnings, an amount for pain and suffering and, if the accident was due to gross negligence, punitive damages may in some circumstances be granted in the court.
If you or a member of your family has been injured in any type of accident in the New York area and it was not your fault, you should contact Richard S. Jaffe Esq., an experienced New York personal injury attorney who offers free consultations. He can assess your eligibility to file a personal injury claim.
You can contact him for a free consultation at the Law Offices of Cohen & Jaffe LLP 2001 Marcus Avenue, Suite W295, Lake Success, NY 11042. Phone: 516-358-6900 or toll free: 800-483-6149.
