Teaneck, NJ Construction Accidents

OSHA (Occupational, Safety, and Health Administration) recommendations set the standards for the minimum protection employers must provide to those who work for them. According to OSHA, some of the most commonly occurring standards that were cited for violations from October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009, included the following:

Unsafe ladders or improper use of ladders in unsafe conditions where other lift devices should have been utilized Lack of available fall protection Strikes from outside objects Electrocutions Failure to communicate existence and nature of hazards Incidents involving aerial lifts Failure to mandate and supply proper head gear for head protection Fall protection systems practices as well as criteria Respiratory problems including the breathing in of chemical discharge and asbestos fibers

Dangers Inherent with the Construction Industry The many construction related accidents that occur each year in the U.S. point to the wellknown fact that the construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the construction industry had the greatest number of work injuries resulting in fatalities. In 2007, 1,178 deaths occurred as a result of injuries suffered. Laborers on construction sites suffered fatal injuries more than any other classification, such as equipment operators, foremen, etc. Falls caused the majority of these construction site fatalities among laborers. Each year in the U.S., one out of every ten construction laborers will suffer a construction accident injury. Workers between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four are more likely to become injured in a construction accident than any other age group, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. However, construction accidents can happen to individuals of any age. Although not all construction accidents cause loss of life, workers may sustain serious injuries making it difficult to return to work. Many Construction Accidents Go Unreported Even minor construction accidents should be reported. They may indicate the existence of unsafe working conditions or practices put into place that might lead to more serious, tragic incidents in the future. Reporting construction accidents can not only help to prevent similar or more serious accidents from happening, they help maintain the accuracy of construction accident statistics.

Failure to report construction accidents may be related to the fact that laborers are afraid that if they report the incident, they may be in danger of losing their jobs. Workers should not accept injuries from construction accidents to be just part of the job. In no industry should an environment exist where injuries caused by the negligence or disregard for worker safety are tolerated. New Jersey No-Fault Compensation In the state of New Jersey, there is a no-fault compensation insurance program. Its purpose is to provide, regardless of fault, compensation benefits to laborers who have suffered accidents while on the job. Injured workers do not have to give up their rights to sue their employers after being hurt at work, however. Workers can seek workers compensation benefits and also pursue litigation against their employers. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/third-party_claim Workers are also entitled to what is called third-party claims. These are claims made against someone other than the employer. Workers may have legitimate claims against the following:

Property owners Contractors or sub-contractors The manufacturer of a defective product The distributor of defective products or the supplier of safety equipment which fails and causes falls and associated injuries Private insurance companies which cover construction related injuries

Falls Are the Major Cause of Accident Related Construction Injuries Improperly designed or built scaffolding or ladders are the cause of the largest number of construction accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls account for nearly one third of all construction site fatalities. The second leading cause of construction site fatalities is electrocution. Trenches which collapse while in the process of being dug account for the third largest number of construction site fatalities. 2008 Manhattan Construction Crane Collapse

On the March 15, 2008, a crane collapsed at 303 East 51st Street in Manhattan, New York. The crane was owned by New York Crane and Equipment Company.

Seven people died as a result of the collapse, and 24 others were injured due to the tragedy. The crane itself was two hundred feet tall when the collapse occurred. It was a luffing-jib type tower crane made by Favco. The accident happened while workers were attaching a steel collar to replace an old collar, designed to anchor the crane to the building at a point near the eighteenth floor. Those who investigated after the incident said that the main cause of the collapse could have been as simple as an inexpensive piece of nylon which broke while lifting a heavy piece of steel. Buildings damaged in the crane collapse included:

A six-story building with twenty individual dwelling units (Parts of the roof and top two floors collapsed because the crane mast struck the building itself). A nineteen-story building with one hundred nineteen living units (Parts of the thirteenth and fourteenth floors were damaged). A three-story mixed-use building with three apartments (A steel beam penetrated the middle of the building causing damage). A four-story building with four apartments and commercial space used at street level (The building suffered complete collapse). A fourteen-story residential building (Holes were discovered in its western foundation, allowing water to enter the basement). A four-story residential and commercial building (The rear of the building sustained damage).

Most importantly six construction workers from the New Jersey, New York City metropolitan areas and one from Miami, Florida lost their lives in this tragic construction accident. Who Is Responsible? Enforcing and maintaining appropriate safety levels on construction sites is the responsibility of the general contractor or supervisor. OSHA regulations are designed to protect the safety of construction laborers. Furthermore, OSHA also sets minimum work place standards which might have been violated in the case of a construction accident like the one in Manhattan. Construction accidents occur due to failure of scaffolding, crane collapses, forklift accidents, slips and falls, falls from unsafely guarded heights, heavy machinery related accidents, nail-gun injuries or injuries from saw blades, electrocutions, and chemical burns.

Contact an Attorney If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, contact the car accident attorneys of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. today.

Call us at (800) LAW-2000 or fill out our online contact form. These articles are provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Professional legal counsel should be sought for specific advice relevant to your circumstances.