On the afternoon of October 30th, 2021, two construction workers were seriously injured in a scaffolding collapse at a Bronx work site. The two injured men were taken to Lincoln Hospital in critical condition.
At around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, the two workers, ages 29 and 45, were performing construction work at 925 Hunts Point Avenue when the scaffolding they were working on suddenly collapsed causing them to fall about 20 feet to the ground. Details regarding the cause of the accident have not yet been shared.
According to the building’s Department of Buildings (DOB) Property Profile, 925 Hunts Point Avenue is a commercial building that has received three DOB violations so far in 2021. No additional violations have been issued since the accident on Saturday. However, officials from the NYC Office of Emergency Management and DOB were notified and an investigation is underway, according to news reports.
Our thoughts are with the accident victims and their loved ones at this time. We hope for a quick and full recovery from any injuries sustained in this frightening incident.
In general, most work site accidents are preventable if safety rules and regulations are adhered to on site. Working with scaffolding, specifically, can be very dangerous due to the heights involved. Common risks associated with working on scaffolding include falls resulting from a lack of fall protection, scaffolding collapses from instability or overloading, as well as struck-by accidents from falling work materials or debris.
To protect workers who are regularly exposed to these risks on job sites, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set safety standards which include the following:
- Employers must install guardrails along all open sides of most scaffolds more than 10 feet above a lower level before allowing employee use
- All employees must be trained by a qualified person to identify the hazards associated with the type of scaffold they are using
- Employers must provide fall protection to every employee working on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level
- To protect employees from falling object hazards, all employees must wear hard hats and employers must install toeboards, screens, guardrails, debris nets, or other forms of protection
- All scaffolds must be able to support their own weight as well as four times their maximum intended load
Employers, property owners, and general contractors are legally required to adhere to these standards, among others, in order to maintain a safe environment for the construction workers. If an employer, property owner, or general contractor neglects these responsibilities and their failures lead to an accident, they can be held legally responsible for any injuries or damages that occur as a result.
The scaffolding accident lawyers at Block O’Toole & Murphy understand the devastating effects a serious accident can have on a worker’s life. A scaffolding accident can result in catastrophic injuries and even death. Our skilled attorneys have extensive experience helping workers who have been injured in scaffolding accidents. Notable results include:
- $7,000,000 settlement for a 25-year-old union carpenter who was struck by a five-pound metal clamp while dismantling a scaffold
- $6,000,000 settlement for a union waterproofer who suffered back injuries when he fell from an exterior scaffold on a Brooklyn construction site
- $5,885,000 jury verdict for an undocumented worker who was injured when he fell from an A-frame ladder he was told to place on top of a Baker scaffold
To discuss your case with one of our attorneys, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out our online contact form today.