Construction Accident in Rochester Serves as a Reminder of Dangers in the Workplace

A construction worker working on securing a concrete slab to a window façade, while standing on scaffolding three stories high, was struck in the head by a falling concrete slab yesterday. The Democrat and Chronicle reports the man was treated at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for his injuries.

Unfortunately, accidents like this happen frequently in New York and throughout the United States. The Binghamton area employs a high number of construction workers, and our Binghamton construction accident injury lawyer remind these workers to stay alert, and follow all safety precautions, when on the job.

Each year in the United States thousands workers die and millions more become injured or disabled when doing their jobs. In New York alone, nearly 250,000 workers are reported ill or injured on-the-job each year, and in the most recent year reported, over 220 workers lost their lives, according to the New York Department of Health. The majority of workplace illnesses, injuries and deaths are preventable.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports construction accidents accounted for one-fifth of all worker deaths in private industry in the United States in 2010. The following four workplace dangers were responsible for more than 50 percent of construction worker deaths in 2010, according to the Department of Labor:

• Falls;
• Electrocutions;
• Struck by objects;
• Caught in/between objects or machinery.

Fortunately, fatal work injuries in construction have declined every year since 2006 and are down nearly 40 percent over that time nationwide. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, even with the lower fatal injury total, construction accounted for more fatal work injuries than any other industry in 2010.

Employers in New York have a legal responsibility to provide a safe workplace for all workers. Construction companies are required by law to inspect each worksite to ensure worker safety. When they fail to do so, an injured worker may have legal rights to seek compensation in addition to receiving workers’ compensation.

About Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney

Scott C. Gottlieb, Injury Law Attorney, handles all types of personal injury and motor vehicle accident cases, including cases involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and boats. The firm also represents clients in actions for wrongful death, cancer misdiagnosis, dog bites, hunting accidents, birth injuries, brain injuries, construction accidents, fall down injuries and insurance settlements. The firm regularly employs accident reconstruction experts, investigators, photographers and economists to assist in evaluating and preparing personal injury cases. In 2008, the firm reached the $100-million mark in combined lifetime verdicts and settlements.

The firm features offices in Binghamton, Elmira, Rochester, Syracuse and Watertown. For more information, call the firm or use the firm’s online contact form.