According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, construction workers being struck by objects is considered one of the fatal four hazards responsible for the majority of construction fatalities. Examples of struck by injuries could include vehicles or machinery hitting construction workers; equipment tipping over onto construction workers; or numerous other hazardous incidents in which workers are hit by objects or equipment.
In any circumstance where a construction worker is hit by an object or is otherwise hurt or killed by job-related duties, that construction worker or his family should consult with New York construction accident lawyers. Workers’ compensation benefits could be available to the injured construction worker or to family members of a construction worker who has been killed in an accident.
One recent accident illustrates just how dangerous it can be when workers are struck by objects. The incident occurred in Brooklyn at a building that was under construction. It was reported on by the New York Post. It is one of far too many recent incidents that have had serious consequences for construction workers.
Building Collapse Causes Serious Injuries on a Brooklyn Construction Site
According to the New York Post, construction workers were performing job-related tasks on a two-story brick building located in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. While the workers were doing their jobs on the construction site, a load of cinder blocks was placed on the roof of the building. The building was gutted as part of the construction process and the weight of the bricks being placed atop the roof was too much for the roof to withstand.
The area on the roof where the cinder blocks had been placed collapsed under the concentrated weight, causing a partial building collapse and sending both the building and the cinder blocks tumbling down.
There were a total of nine construction workers who were at the worksite and who were doing work when the incident occurred. As a result of the building collapse, six of the nine workers sustained injuries. The injuries were described as non-life threatening, but some of them were still serious.
One of the injured workers suffered a compound fracture to his leg because of the building collapse. First responders needed to help him get out of the building safely. The remaining five construction workers who had been hurt sustained various injuries, including a hip injury, abrasions, and lacerations.
Injuries like a compound fracture or a hip injury can be especially devastating to construction workers, as their jobs require physical labor that necessitates they are easily able to move around.
A fracture or damage to the hip could necessitate time off for recovery or could make it difficult to ever resume full work duty again. Workers’ compensation should provide income in circumstances where working is temporarily or permanently impossible due to job-related injuries like the injuries suffered by these construction workers.
New York construction accident lawyers can provide representation and advice in incidents like this one, as well as in all circumstances where construction workers are harmed on-the-job. Injured workers and their families should contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to find out what they can do to claim their benefits and begin getting the compensation and support that they deserve.