New York Personal Injury Lawyers / Brooklyn Construction Accident Attorneys

Brooklyn Construction Accident Attorney

How Dangerous Are Construction Jobs?

The construction industry is a vital part of the U.S. economy. The labor of construction workers impacts every facet of our lives: from the quality of the buildings where we live and work to the safety of the streets where we drive.

We rarely stop to consider that construction workers put their lives at risk every day when they go to work. Labor statistics show construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the United States:

• According to the Associated General Contractors of America, the construction industry consists of over 680,000 employers, with over 7 million workers nationwide.
• One in every five workplace deaths involves a worker in the construction industry.
• Over one-third of all construction-related deaths result from a fall.

Where Do Construction Accidents Happen?

When you think about a construction site, images of large equipment and scaffolding likely come to mind. But construction sites do not just exist on city blocks. They are everywhere we turn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 849,570 Americans worked as construction laborers in one recent year. An additional 227,460 held the title of construction manager, with carpenters, electricians, and operating engineers accounting for 611,070, 503,660, and 245,320 workers respectively.

With so many workers employed in construction, accidents happen in virtually every conceivable setting:

• City buildings: In one recent year, Brooklyn had more active construction projects than any other borough of New York City. At the time there were2,800 active permits on file. The largest project was a 3.9 million square foot skyscraper. Working on city buildings comes with particular risks for Brooklyn construction workers. Not only must workers do their jobs at extreme heights, they must also contend with limited space and numerous distractions, which can make it difficult for workers to get their job done safely.
• Roadways: Millions of people drive through road construction every day. It’s easy to take for granted just how dangerous roadway construction is for workers. Traffic workers must fight inclement weather, limited space, and oncoming traffic. Repair work on bridges, traffic lights, or in areas of high traffic leave construction site workers particularly vulnerable to injury.
• Homes and offices: New home builds, repairs, and renovations make up a good portion of the construction industry. While these jobs may be more secluded and provide more space, they provide different challenges. Workers are usually unfamiliar with the area they are working with and may not be aware of hidden dangers. Additionally, homeowners may put added pressure on workers to complete a job quickly.
• Manufacturing facilities: The manufacturing industry is growing, as is the demand for new buildings. In addition to the normal hazards, workers have to install heavy, and often dangerous, equipment.

How Do Construction Accidents Happen?

Five Reasons for Brooklyn Construction Accidents

The dangers on construction sites are well-known. So, why do construction accidents happen? For the most part, the answer is “human error,” especially:

1. Poor training: Workers need to understand how to stay safe on the job. Construction company owners and construction site owners have a special responsibility to train workers in safety practices and techniques on construction sites. Poor or inadequate safety training, unfortunately, puts everyone on a job site at risk of severe injury.
2. Lack of or improper safety devices:Large volumes of regulations dictate the nature and type of safety equipment that workers should always use on a job site. Inadequate or broken safety equipment often puts workers’ lives in danger.
3. Unsafe conditions: Rain, fog, snow, and excessive heat can all make for dangerous work conditions. When workers work in unsafe conditions, they risk accidents and injury.
4. Defective construction materials and equipment: The raw materials workers use to lay foundations and to frame out a building, as well as the tools they use to work with those materials, should not put them at risk. Unfortunately, materials and equipment sometimes hide dangerous defects that cause accidents and serious injuries.
5. Heavy workloads: Exhaustion can lead to poor decision-making and lack of concentration on a construction site; factors that often lead to catastrophic accidents and injuries.

Five Common Construction Site Injuries

As we noted above, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, one out of every five workplace fatalities in 2018 occurred in the construction industry. The industry also has 71 percent more non-fatal injuries than any other industry. Common construction accident injuries include:

1. Traumatic brain injuries: Traumatic brain injuries occur when the brain sustains damage from a blow or penetrating head injury. TBIs display a wide variety of symptoms, all of which can prove debilitating. A so-called “mild” traumatic brain injury (a.k.a., “concussion”) can leave a victim with chronic fatigue, headaches, and “brain fog.” More severe TBIs can cause lasting motor, cognitive, and emotional impairments. In the worst cases, TBIs result in a permanent loss of consciousness.
2. Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries happen when the spinal cord sustains severe trauma, often from a violent fall. These injuries often result in paralysis and require lifelong treatment.
3. Burns: Burns can happen as the result of contact with a hot surface, electrocution, or exposure to chemicals (among other causes). They can cause excruciating pain and leave victims with permanent scars. Severe burns pose an extreme risk of infection and can cause nerve damage and physical disabilities.
4. Lacerations and contusions: Unfortunately, cuts, scrapes, and bruises happen frequently on a construction site. While most injuries are minor, if they are not treated, they can cause infection. You should always have a doctor examine any deep cuts as they may involve nerve damage and may risk getting infected.
5. Strains: Any worker who does heavy lifting is at risk of a strain injury. Strains happen when you overextend your ligaments or tendons. To prevent strains on the job, practice proper lifting and always use safety equipment.

Making a Workers’ Comp Claim After an Accident

Most workplace injuries differ from other preventable injuries when it comes to pursuing compensation. New York law requires virtually all employers—including employers in the construction industry—to carry workers’ compensation insurance protecting their employees against medical and disability costs resulting from a workplace injury or illness.

Workers’ compensation insurance pays benefits to injured workers regardless of who is at fault for an injury. It includes:

• Medical benefits: Workers’ comp pays for all medical treatment necessary to diagnose and treat a workplace injury. Except in emergencies, workers must receive care from a provider who is approved by the New York Workers’ Compensation Board, and (potentially) by their employer.
• Disability benefits: When a worker is temporarily or permanently unable to return to work, workers’ compensation benefits can help make up lost wages.Time-loss benefits pay two-thirds of your average weekly wage, multiplied by the degree of a construction worker’s disability.
• Death benefits: Workers’ compensation entitles families of construction workers who sustain a fatal injury on the job to payments that replace some of the deceased worker’s income, as well as a lump sum payment for funeral and burial expenses.

Workers’ compensation insurance comes with a trade-off, however. By providing insurance for their employees, employers free themselves of any other legal liability to their workers in most cases. In other words, most injured construction workers cannot sue their employer for damages, even if the employer’s unsafe practices caused an injury.

Third-Party Responsibility

Workers’ compensation in New York does not, however, limit an injured construction worker’s rights to sue a “third party” (i.e., someone other than an employer or co-worker) for damages arising from a construction site injury. “Third parties” with potential liability for harming a construction worker could include:

• Property owners: If the injury occurs on private property, the property owner may face legal liability for having failed to remedy an unsafe condition that led to a worker’s injury.
• Contractors: Construction sites often host multiple contractors who coordinate their efforts, but do not share employees. Construction workers injured by the careless or reckless actions of an employee of a different general contractor may have rights against that contractor for damages.
• Materials and equipment manufacturers: Construction workers should not sustain injuries because of defective construction materials or equipment. The manufacturer of defective material or equipment that leaves a construction worker injured may face legal liability.

Speaking with an experienced construction accident injury attorney is the best way to determine all responsible parties and assess your rights after a construction accident leaves you battered and bruised—or worse.

Brooklyn Construction Accident FAQ: How Our Lawyers Can Help You

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Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, Has Extensive Experience Handling Brooklyn Construction Accident Cases

At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, our accident lawyers fight for construction accident victims. For almost 50 years now, we have helped numerous clients move on from the severe injuries and losses they sustained on construction sites. When needed, Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, can also call upon our sister firm and its half-century of experience for help. That firm’s focus on workers’ comp and Social Security disability cases can give us a significant advantage when we’re fighting for the benefits you need. They’re online at https://www.foalaw.com/.

Time is of the essence. Act quickly to protect your chance for compensation. Contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, for a free consultation. Let a member of our team get to work on your construction injury case as soon as possible.

Call Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, now at (877) 565-2993, or contact us online today. We require no deposit or retainer for our services. If we do not win your case, you do not pay. Take the first step toward possible justice for your Brooklyn construction accident by contacting Jacoby & Meyers, LLP without delay.

Brooklyn Office

1711 Kings Highway
Brooklyn, NY 11229
1-877-488-1707

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