The NYC construction accident lawyers at Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP are following a frightening potentially tragic accident that occurred last Friday morning, June 20, 2014, at a construction site on East 57th Street in Manhattan. An exterior scaffold on a hi-rise building collapsed, leaving two workers scrambling for their lives while dangling some 12 stories high and over the crowded city street below.
While the initial report does not specify the extent of the injuries suffered by the workers, this accident is yet another reminder of the accidents construction workers suffer almost daily in the New York City area. With all of the new constructions and renovation projects throughout the city, on any given day there are literally thousands of iron workers, operating engineers, carpenters, plumbers, laborers, electricians and other construction trade workers who are placed in life threatening situations just to earn a day’s pay.
It is because of the unique perils faced by these union and non-union workers that safety must always be of paramount importance on job sites. This is also why workers who are injured when building owners and general contractors fail to provide adequate safety equipment must be held legally responsible to the full extent of the law.
In the case of this scaffolding accident, a witness reportedly observed that at least one of the workers was hanging by a safety harness, which almost certainly saved his life. Fortunately, it appears that these workers were provided the back-up safety equipment necessary to save their lives after this unexpected scaffold collapse, but far too often construction workers are not afforded appropriate fall protection at all, and the results can be catastrophic. This incident is a good reminder that we all need to remain vigilant about construction safety, and especially when the work is being performed at great heights.
The experienced trial attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy LLP have spent the past several decades returning substantial awards for injured workers in legal actions against the building owners and general contractors who are legally responsible for ensuring that workers are provided with proper safety equipment, such as properly assembled scaffolds, properly braced ladders, safety harnesses, and life lines just to name a few. In fact, the firm has recovered well over $750 Million through top verdicts and settlements on behalf of their injured clients.
Block O’Toole & Murphy, LLP can be reached anytime at 212-736-5300 for a free consultation, and its website may be found at: www.blockotoole.com.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/20/2-workers-rescued-from-dangling-scaffolding-in-midtown/