While many people think that construction is a seasonal occupation, here in New York City there is always some building going up coming down. When the winter weather is playing havoc outside, it is especially important for building contractors to ensure that their construction site is safe. Construction workers can easily be injured and such accidents can have permanent effects on the ability of that worker to live a normal and fulfilling life. It is also important for each accident to be carefully investigated to determine what happened so that other construction workers will not suffer the same fate.
The Buildings Department halted construction on an apartment building in Queens after a fatal construction accident. It was a cold day, about 12 degrees outside, and workers were working on the erection of the new building. One of the workers, a 42-year-old man, was on the first floor and fell through a hole in the flooring. It is not known how the hole formed, but the worker died after being taken to a nearby hospital. According to another worker, the victim was hit in the head by a steel girder that may have been located in the basement.
If the investigation shows that the construction site accident was the fault of the contractor, then the victim’s family may want to meet with an attorney to discuss taking civil action. Doing so may help them receive compensation for the sudden loss of income to the family, cover funeral costs and help pay for the emergency care that the victim was given.
Source: New York Daily News, “Queens construction worker is dead in horrifying accident,” Kerry Burke and Thomas Tracy, Jan. 24, 2013