Workers in New York have faced a higher-than-normal risk of dying on-the-job in recent years. In fact, New York Daily News recently released a troubling report indicating that the number of workplace deaths across all industries in the city in 2014 was the highest it has been in six years. The increase was dramatic, with 22 percent more people dying on-the-job in 2014 than in 2013.
As more workers face life-threatening dangers at their jobsites, it becomes more important than ever for every employee to understand his or her rights. Workers’ compensation laws ensure that benefits are available to injured workers and death benefits are available to surviving family members after a fatality. These benefits are not based on proving negligence, and a worker or his family should be entitled to receive workers’ comp coverage for any illness or injury, as long as it can be shown that it is job-related. A New York workers’ compensation law firm can help those who are affected by workplace accidents determine if their injuries, illnesses or the death of their family member should entitle them to benefits.
Increased Workplace Fatalities in New York City Means Employees are at Risk
In 2014, there were a total of 78 deaths among workers in New York City. More specifically, there were 12 suicides; 11 homicides; 20 deaths from slips, trips and falls; 14 deaths in transportation incidents; 8 fatalities due to contact with heavy objects or machinery; 7 fatalities due to exposure to toxic substances; 4 fatalities due to fire and explosions; and 2 deaths due to other types of workplace violence.
While the biggest increase happened in construction, with 22 construction workers killed, victims suffered injuries and fatalities across a broad array of fields and in many different employment sectors. A safety and health specialist at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety warned: “Regardless of industry, there isn’t enough enforcement of our health and safety laws.”
The rise in fatalities can be explained by the existence of improving economic conditions, as well as a lack of enforcement of safety laws and a lack of effort on the part of employers to ensure that all worksites are safe. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is supposed to conduct routine inspections of worksites, but OSHA is significantly understaffed and the Administration is not able to go to most worksites regularly in order to make sure safety protocols are actually being followed. Companies become complacent and confident that they will not face random inspections and accordingly, they fail to expend the time and effort to keep staff members safe.
No matter how an on-the-job injury happens or who is at fault, workers and their families need to understand how to take action to get benefits after they have been hurt or after a death on-the-job. A workers’ compensation law firm should be consulted as soon as possible for assistance reporting the injury and moving forward with making a benefits claim. Call Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff today to discuss your case.
