Construction Worker Injured in Fall at Suffolk County Work Site

A construction worker was seriously injured after he fell down a 14-foot hole at a construction site in Suffolk County, Long Island on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. 

The reason why the man fell down the hole is unknown; it was reported that the accident occurred around 2:00 p.m. at a construction site in Port Jefferson Station. According to officers from the Sixth Precinct, the hole opening was approximately four feet by four feet, and the man fell a total of 14 feet. 

The man, who has not been identified but was reported to be a construction worker on the site, has been transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries. Police are continuing the accident investigation, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been notified of the incident.

We at Block O’Toole & Murphy are keeping this worker in our thoughts. We wish him a complete and quick recovery. 

According to OSHA, construction site falls are the most common cause of fatal injuries to workers. Because of this, OSHA has set specific guidelines and requirements for both workers and employers to ensure worker safety and protection from falls. One of these requirements is that employers must provide fall protection (such as a harness) for workers if there is a possibility they could fall six feet or more while working. In the accident above, it is unclear if the worker was wearing fall protection, but he was able to fall much further than six feet, meaning even if there was fall protection, it was not enough.

Additionally, uncovered holes or holes without barriers on construction sites clearly pose a risk. If a worker is going to be at risk of falling six feet or more, employers must ensure guardrails or safety nets are installed and inspected regularly. And even if a guardrail is installed around a hole, if that hole has a point of access (such as a ladder) there must be a gate or some sort of barrier that prevents workers from moving past the guardrail and falling into the hole.

The construction accident attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy have years of experience handling construction fall cases and obtaining the maximum amount of compensation an injured client is entitled to.

Notable construction site fall results we have obtained for clients include: 

• $12,000,000 settlement for a union worker who was working on a subway extension project and was injured after falling 40 feet into a ventilation shaft while trying to stabilize a crane basket 
• $11,000,000 settlement for a masonry foreman who suffered serious injuries that permanently disabled him from construction work after he fell through an unsecured hole cover 
• $6,000,000 settlement for a union operating engineer who was trying to exit the crane he was working in when he fell 13 feet through a hatch that had been left open, causing him to suffer spine and neck injuries

If you or a loved one have been injured in a construction accident or a fall, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Call 212-736-5300 or fill out our online contact form to speak to a qualified construction accident lawyer today.