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Construction Accidents

New York Department of Buildings Will Cite Contractor in Scaffolding Accident
Posted by: William Gentile
October 31, 2011

The New York Department of Buildings is likely to issue citations to a demolition contractor after scaffolding at a site collapsed on a bus, injuring at least 17 people.

The accident occurred in Harlem, when the city bus was stopped in front of a building with scaffolding. According to witnesses, the scaffolding suddenly collapsed on top of the bus. Seventeen people, including passengers, bystanders and construction workers suffered injuries. Eight of the injured were passengers, and two were police officers. Fortunately, most of these injuries were minor.

The scaffolding had been erected on a building where an elevator shaft was being constructed. Early information seems to suggest that the scaffolding collapsed because of bricks that fell on the scaffolding. The New York Department of Buildings has already acted by stopping work on the site immediately. The Department of Buildings will also soon issue citations to the contractor involved.

That no construction workers were seriously injured in this accident is a matter of good luck, and nothing else. This is an accident that could have resulted in serious injuries. Every year, hundreds of workers are seriously injured or killed in scaffolding collapses nationwide. Workers involved in a scaffolding collapse could suffer serious injuries, including head and spinal cord injuries.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established guidelines governing the construction and installation of scaffolding. Scaffolding that has been constructed and installed as per Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines should include stable work platforms. Scaffolding components, like frames must be strong enough to withstand the weight of workers and tools.

The New York construction accident lawyers at Godosky and Gentile have extensive experience representing construction workers injured in accidents in New York. If you have been injured in a construction accident, contact a competent and experienced New York construction accident attorney at Godosky and Gentile for a free consultation.

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New York Construction Worker Killed in Accident Involving MTA Bus
Posted by: William Gentile
October 11, 2011

A New York construction worker was killed in an accident caused when a Metropolitan Transit Authority struck the lift that he was standing on, causing him to plummet to the ground.

The worker was standing on the lift at a construction site, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority bus was traveling through a Long Island Railroad overpass, when the top of the bus struck the lift. The worker was knocked off, and fell several feet to the ground. He struck his head on the pavement, and sustained severe head injuries. He was rushed to the hospital, but was declared dead.

The bus driver was detained, but charges have not yet been filed. Blood and alcohol tests are being conducted on the driver, but results will not be out for several days. Police have released little information about this accident.

Investigations into the accident have begun, but it doesn't take a New York construction accident attorney to know that this was a very preventable accident. This wasn't just any kind of construction fall accident. The construction industry is the scene of several severely injurious and fatal auto accidents every year. In fact, fall accidents are the main causes of death in the construction sector. Workers may be at risk of fall accidents, when they have little protection in the form of guardrails, and personal fall restraint systems. These falls can be prevented if employers provide fall protection gear, and use guardrails and railing appropriately to reduce the risk of falls