On November 8, 2011, five workers were trapped under debris and corrugated metal when a building under construction in Brooklyn collapsed. All five workers were rescued from the rubble by the New York City Fire Department. Tragically, one of the innocent workers later died. The noted construction accident law firm Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP has been retained to represent the worker who tragically died, as well as one of the injured workers who survived.
The building, at 2929 Brighton Fifth Street near Neptune Avenue in Brighton Beach, was a five-story building set to house apartments. According to reports, the Commissioner of the Buildings Department, Robert LiMandri, said that the workers were pouring concrete starting at the top floors and working their way down. Officials plainly stressed that the accepted safe practice is the opposite; to start at the bottom and work to the top because it stabilizes the building. LiMandri has been quoted as saying that, “they were pouring concrete in the wrong sequence, and we believe that that is a major contributor to this collapse.” The Buildings Department has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, as has the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”). One thing is clear: The accident was not caused by the hardworking men that were left buried after the latest construction accident tragedy to befall New York City.
The law firm Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP is conducting their own investigation to uncover all potential causes and responsible parties, and has filed a lawsuit against the owner and alleged general contractor of the project. Handling attorney and Partner Stephen J. Murphy noted, “We are honored to take on this fight on behalf of these workers, one of whom sadly and unnecessarily lost his life. By vigorously pursuing these claims, we hope to not only obtain fair compensation for the victims, but also to highlight all of the causes and responsible entities, so that an incident like this one never happens again.”
Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP is a personal injury law firm known for handling cases on behalf of construction workers in New York. If you have any information pertinent to this tragic building collapse, or if you or a loved one has been involved in a significant construction accident, please contact the experienced trial lawyers at Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP today at 212-736-5300, or visit the firm’s websites: www.blockotoole.com or www.constructionaccidentsny.com.