Electrician Falls from Roof During New York Construction, Accident Lawyers Settles for $6 Million

Falls are one of the most frequently occurring types of construction accidents. Fortunately for the people who work in these dangerous areas, New York’s Labor Laws provides strong protections for workers—and to protect their rights after a job-site injury.

$6 Million Dollar New York Construction Accident Settlement

A Brooklyn electrician in his late 40s was working toward the completion of a two-week project. His work took him to the roof of a commercial building that was under construction.

Neither the building owner nor the contractors in charge provided a safety harness for the electrician to wear as he worked at this height. The work site also lacked lifelines, safety netting, and railings to keep the worker from falling or to protect the worker in the event of a fall.

The electrician fell from the roof of the building and suffered multiple injuries that required surgery.

The electrician hired Oresky & Associates, PLLC to represent him in a personal injury lawsuit.

The building owner and contractors had contested responsibility for the accident and attempted to blame the injured worker.   The Oresky & Associates, PLLC team won the case before the court on motion. The case then progressed forward for a trial on damages. The defendants initially tried to settle the case for a low million dollar number.  Prior to jury selection, we succeeded in settling the case for $6 million.

Check out our other case results to see how we have helped other injured workers.

New York Has Labor Laws That Protect Construction Workers

The volume of construction that goes on in New York means that thousands of construction workers expose themselves on a daily basis to the risk of falls, hand and power tool injuries, malfunctioning work vehicles, chemical exposure, and electrical accidents, among many other dangers.

Understanding the vital role construction plays in New York and realizing a need to protect the workers that make such development happen, New York, wrote its labor laws–sections 200, 240, and 241–to protect people who work on construction sites, and those who perform related types of work not on a construction site. Such as painters working on ladders, roofers, waterproofers, and more.

Section 200 of New York’s Labor Laws – Requires that construction site/building owners and contractors take reasonable care to protect their workers and provide safe workspaces.

Section 240 (the “Scaffold Law”) – Requires that certain construction site and building owners and contractors supply their workers with specific safety equipment they need related to working at heights.

Section 241 – Outlines required  safety rules for a job site, as well as safety equipment that building/construction site owners and contractors must provide.

When a worker sustains injuries on a construction site where a construction site owner or building owner violated these statutes, the worker most likely has a strong case to recover money damages.

Contact Our Construction Accident Law Firm in Bronx, NY

If you have a New York construction accident case, Oresky & Associates, PLLC will aggressively champion your right to compensation. We have over 30 years of construction accident litigation experience and are ready to go to work for you. Contact the Bronx construction accident lawyers at Oresky & Associates, PLLC at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation.