Construction worksites can be dangerous places, and those who sustain harm should contact a New York City work injury lawyer to understand what their rights are to obtain compensation for injuries. There are many potential sources of injury on a construction site, including falling objects.
Just recently, an incident on a construction site at an Astoria Building demonstrated how dangerous falling objects can be. The incident, which was reported by NBC New York, left three workers hurt with two of the three suffering critical injuries. It serves as an important reminder of the vital need to take appropriate precautions to prevent serious harm that falling debris can cause.
Construction Workers Hurt by Falling Objects
According to NBC New York, workers were conducting renovations on an Astoria building located in Queens when an accident occurred. The construction involves the renovation of a two-story brownstone on 28th Road between 31st and 33d streets. While the renovations were taking place, a crane that was onsite dropped a load of materials into the brownstone. The materials fell through the roof of the brownstone, collapsing throughout the building and falling to the ground floor where workers were struck and became trapped inside of the building.
The incident occurred shortly before 4:00 PM and a nearby Astoria resident indicated that it sounded like an explosion had occurred when the crane dropped the materials through the roof of the brownstone. She indicated that the noise was both loud and that it went on for a long duration of time.
One of the construction workers inside of the building, a 38-year old man, was able to get out of the building on his own, although he was seriously hurt and had to be transported to a nearby hospital to receive treatment. Another construction worker, a 40-year-old man, had to be pulled from the building and was transported on a stretcher. Although he was conscious, officials indicated that he had sustained critical injuries.
At approximately 5:30 PM, firefighters were still working to try to free a third construction worker who had been trapped inside of the building. The 28-year-old was stuck under what was described as “a few thousand pounds of construction materials in the basement of the building.” His legs were also said to be trapped under 1,200-pound beams. Firefighters were able to give him drugs for his crushing injuries and to relieve his pain, but his condition was unknown.
Unfortunately, this is just one of many incidents in which workers will sustain serious injuries when objects fall on them on construction sites. Falling objects are one of the leading sources of construction site injuries.
If you or a loved one is harmed by falling objects, or by any other hazards on a construction site, a New York city work injury lawyer at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff can provide assistance with a claim for benefits. Contact an attorney for help as soon as possible following an incident so you can report your injury in a timely manner and obtain any necessary proof to demonstrate your injury was work-related and thus entitles you to benefits.
