When a person works on a construction site in New York City, there can be a certain amount of risk of injury from defective equipment, disregard of safety and improper handling of tools. Often, an injury received on a worksite can be a serious one, preventing the person from working for an extended period of time. For example a crush injury may require months spent in a hospital and while workers’ compensation will help with some of the care and loss of income, it may not cover everything.
This is likely the scenario facing a 46-year-old construction worker who was flown to a hospital after he was injured on a New York bridge. The details of the accident were not available but he was there as part of a repainting project for the bridge. This is the second accident to happen at the bridge and a safety review will be performed before the project continues.
The man was apparently in a containment area, which is a device that collects paint chips and is made out of plastic. His condition is unknown and the injuries he received have not been revealed. If he has been seriously injured, which the flight to the hospital seems to indicate, he may be facing a long road of recovery.
In such events, it is important for there to be a thorough investigation to determine if the equipment a worker was using may have been faulty or whether there was a lack of safety adherence. If it is determined that the accident could have been prevented and that the contractor was negligent, the injured worker may be able to seek financial justice in a civil court of law.
Source: 4 New York, “Work Halts on Upstate NY Bridge After 2nd Accident in Month,” Jun. 7, 2013