Window Cleaning Accidents in NYC

If You've Been Hurt In A Window Cleaning Accident, We Can Help

Are you a worker who has been injured in an accident related to window cleaning? If so, you may be entitled to compensation beyond workers’ compensation benefits.

Workplace Injury Attorneys for Commercial Window Washers in the Bronx, Queens, and Beyond

Are you a worker who has been injured in an accident related to window cleaning? If so, you may be entitled to compensation beyond workers’ compensation benefits. New York City has no shortage of skyscrapers and other tall buildings. The windows and exterior glass panes of these buildings often require cleaning. Without proper scaffolding and protective devices, window washers can suffer serious injuries and even death. At Oresky & Associates, PLLC, our Queens and Bronx construction accident lawyers have a comprehensive understanding of the New York Labor Law and how it applies to window washing accidents.

Know Your Rights After an Accident Related to Cleaning

Since workers who clean buildings often are required to work at great heights, it is crucial that these workers are provided with proper safety gear, training, and supervision. Accidents related to cleaning can happen in a number of ways, including:

• Scaffold collapses, falls, or ladders tip over;
• Faulty window washer scaffold construction;
• Defective window washing harnesses, safety lines or safety belts;
• Defective guard rails on window washing devices;
• Defective window washing suspension ropes; or
• Falls due to lack of or improper safety equipment.

Our Team Can Start Working for You from the Moment You Call

When it comes to litigation, there is no time to waste. Once you call our office, we can start building your case in your fight for compensation. In three short steps, your legal journey can begin today.

• Free Case Evaluation: call our office, send us an email, or chat with us online to receive a free case evaluation.
• Get Signed Up: after your free case review, we can set up your client profile and gather any information you already have.
• Start Your Recovery: we can take over your case from here and update you as it progresses. You can focus on your health while we focus on your case.

Common Legal Questions

What is the Personal Injury Claims Process?

The personal injury claims process begins when an injury victim submits a claim to an insurance company. Typically, they will file this claim against the insurer for the party who caused the accident. The insurance company will assign an adjuster to investigate the claim. If the adjuster determines the insurance company is liable for the accident, it will offer a settlement to cover the victim’s damages. However, these settlement offers don’t always fully account for the victim’s losses. If they determine the insurer is not liable, they will deny the claim.

What is a Personal Injury Case?

A personal injury case is a legal action that arises from an accident or injury. Typically, these cases are based on negligence. An injury claim provides a way for the victim to recover compensation for losses they’ve experienced due to the incident. Personal injury cases typically arise from motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and other injury-causing events.

What Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?

Accident victims are entitled to damages for all losses sustained in an accident. These damages come in two broad forms. Economic damages compensate victims for direct financial losses related to the accident. These include medical expenses, lost income, diminished earning capacity, and more. Non-economic damages cover non-financial losses that don’t have a clear financial value. Examples include pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, reduced quality of life, and loss of consortium.

What Questions Should I Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer?

When searching for a personal injury lawyer, you should ask questions about their experience, services and results.  You only have one chance to recover and finding the right lawyer can make a big difference in the final outcome of your case, the level of services that you receive, and the amount of compensation that you are awarded.   Want more information? Read our full article here.

What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

Personal injury lawyers help victims recover compensation for injuries and damages that someone else’s negligence caused. They do this by helping clients with insurance claims and/or civil lawsuits. Want to learn more? Read our full article here.

Do I Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?

You do not need a personal injury lawyer, but one can benefit you in many ways following an accident resulting in serious physical harm. Severe injuries can lead to expensive medical care, extended absences from work, pain and suffering, and other damages. Read our full article to find out more about when it's right to hire a personal injury lawyer.

Know The Laws Surrounding Cleaning Accidents

New York Labor Law Sections 200, 202 and 240, and 241 allows certain injured workers and window washers to file a civil lawsuit for compensation in addition to pursuing Workers’ Compensation benefits that are available through the injured party’s employer. If a property owner or contractor is found liable under any of the sections of the Labor Law, they will be required to compensate the worker for all of the harm and financial losses that resulted from the accident, such as medical costs, lost wages and benefits, and pain and suffering.

New York Labor Law Section 200 imposes liability on a property owner or general contractor that fails to provide a safe working environment for workers on the job site. An owner or contractor is responsible for an accident that was a result of a dangerous condition of which it knew or should have known.

Contact a New York Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

To learn more about how a construction accident attorney at Oresky & Associates can protect your rights, call us today to arrange a free case review. We’re available 24/7 to come to your aid.

Free Consultation

What Is The NY Scaffold Law?

New York Labor Law Section 202 requires property owners, property managers and contractors for buildings to provide safe means for cleaning or washing windows and exterior surfaces. Under this section an owner, property manager or contractor can be liable for failing to furnish safety devices that protect persons engaged in window cleaning or washing.

New York’s “Scaffold Law,” which is found in Section 240 of the New York Labor Law, protects construction workers who are at risk of injury or death from elevation-related activities, including workers who perform commercial window cleaning of a building or structure at a height. Specifically, Section 240 provides protection to workers who are injured as a result of falls from a height or as a result of a falling object. This law places responsibility for the safety of workers on property owners and contractors, which must provide workers with proper safety equipment for height-related tasks. Even if the worker brings their own tools, it is still the property owner and contractor’s responsibility to make sure that the worker has adequate ladders, scaffolds, harnesses, and anything else that the worker would need to do their job as safely as possible.

In addition, a worker may have a cause of action under New York Labor Law Section 241(6) if they can establish that their cleaning or washing windows was done in connection with construction, excavation, or demolition work and their injuries were caused by a violation of the New York State Industrial Code. The Code outlines a number of safety standards, which owners and contractors must rigorously obey. These include standards for using scaffolds, ladders, and other protective devices.

Get Started on Your Case by Speaking with a Construction Injury Lawyer in the Bronx or Queens

If you have been hurt in an accident related to commercial window cleaning, our work injury attorneys may be able to help you. At Oresky & Associates, PLLC, we can meticulously investigate the circumstances of your accident and provide you with diligent legal representation at every step of the way. If your injury is preventing you from being able to visit our office, we will be more than happy to come to your home or to the hospital. Members of our team are bilingual in Spanish, which allows us to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking clients about the details of their case. We proudly serve accident victims in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, as well as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. For your free consultation, you can call us at (718) 993-9999 or contact us online.