On behalf of Smiley & Smiley, LLP posted in Construction Accidents on Thursday, June 8, 2017.
New York residents who work in the construction industry put their lives at risk every day that they show up for work. With that in mind, workers should be able to rely on the honesty and goodwill of their employers to follow safety regulations and provide them with appropriate direction and materials in order to protect their safety while working. Sadly, this does not always happen.
After a wall collapse at a building site in September 2015, two men today continue to struggle with physical and medical problems including the ability to walk. Another man is dead. The owner of the constuction company faces a myriad of criminal charges for his failure to follow safety guidelines. He is also accused of tax fraud and applying for workers' compensation insurance only after the accident occured.
In the summer of 2015, the owner of a construction company agreed to work on an existing one-story building converting it into a five-story multiuse structure. The seven employees hired for demolition did not meet the certification requirements outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The crew hired for excavation is said to have been ordered to excavate more area than had been approved by the Department of Building. The men also requested materials to help them shore up a wall, indicating to their boss that it could fall. Their requests were not heeded. Eventually, the wall collapsed and the falling debris killed one worker and seriously injured two others.
If a construction worker in New York is involved in a job-related accident, particularly in the Bronx, it may be helpful to talk with an attorney to understand how to seek compensation.
Source; EHS Today, "Brooklyn Construction Company Owner Indicted for Manslaughter," Sandy Smith, May 22, 2017
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