Construction Accidents on the Rise in NYC

There have been eight fatalities at construction sites in NYC since the beginning of 2015. The most recent tragedy occurred when a man was killed at a construction site in Manhattan due to the malfunction of a delivery truck boom. Unlike larger cranes, the city does not regulate the small booms that are attached to delivery trucks. Another recent accident occurred when a 22 year old construction worker was buried in dirt up to his neck at a work site in Manhattan. The following day, four workers were killed at another site when a bannister collapsed during an interior demolition.

These accidents came just weeks after a passerby was killed when she was struck with construction site materials that blew off a building. The woman suffered severe head trauma to which she later succumbed at the hospital.

Eight construction workers were killed in 2014- doubling the statistics from 2013. In addition to fatalities to construction workers increasing this year, so is the threat to unsuspecting passersby. Construction accidents are responsible for injuring one passerby in New York City a month, on average, according to the Wall Street Journal. These statistics are also on the rise, with more injuries occurring to padestrians last year than in any other year since 2008 when the Department of Buildings began to record them.

Construction site accidents may arise from shortage of safety measures in place, negligence, faulty machinery, or lack of training.

If you have been injured, as a worker or a passerby, or a loved one has been killed, as the result of construction work, contact an experienced person injury attorney who will strive to get you the compensation you deserve. Call the personal injury attorneys at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss at 212-571-7171.