Wrongful Construction Deaths On The Increase

Recently, there has been an increase in construction-related deaths in New York City. Construction work can be dangerous, but several deaths in past months that spurred on stop-work orders and investigations into safety on the work sites have regulators looking for ways to increase protection from severe injuries and death.

Wrongful construction deaths can happen because of:

• Lack of proper safety measures
• Equipment malfunction
• Lack of adequate training to safely do the job

It is common for falls and blunt force accidents to severely injure or kill construction workers. Within this past year, a worker died from a crane hook striking him. In another accident, falling construction debris was to blame for crushing another worker to death.

Falls took the lives of two more construction workers, one down an elevator shaft and another off of an elevated platform. In another tragic accident, a forklift failed to remain upright, and as a result, a worker was struck by falling sheet metal and died.

Addressing The Need For Training

Due to the steep increase in construction worker deaths, the New York city council recently passed Local Law 196, which establishes a requirement for increased construction worker safety training. The city has certified several online training providers for workers to access.

A Question Of Compliance

Though the law requires that training sessions be proctored to ensure that the actual worker took the training and exam, a recent investigation by the WABC News team demonstrated that anyone could take the safety training from city-approved providers and claim they are someone else. The lack of controls to eradicate fraud means that many workers may not get the training that they need.

Shulman & Hill Workers’ Comp Attorney

Shulman & Hill provides aggressive, expert legal representation to injured workers and accident victims across New York. Our attorneys are dedicated to obtaining the justice and compensation you deserve for your injury. Schedule a free consultation today by calling (555) 555-5555.