No matter what part of the country you are in, chances are that there are construction workers who are risking their lives every day in order to complete a project. Due to the nature of construction work, the possibility of suffering an injury on the job is extremely high. Construction workers have always faced significant dangers in their daily work, but due to a significant increase of construction happening in New York, construction worker injuries are becoming more common.
For the last three fiscal years, the number of fatalities on construction sites has been slightly increasing, from seven to 12 and finally to 18 in this most recent year. Of these deaths, half were caused by falling while others were crushed because of improperly braced walls. The major reason that the number of fatal accidents is rising is due to an inverse growth between construction projects and site-safety inspectors.
Since 2011, tens of thousands of additional building permits have been issued each year in the city. This is mostly good news for construction workers and the whole city, as the extra jobs and projects tend to boost the economy, but unfortunately during that same period, the number of site-safety inspectors has decreased by almost 6 percent. This means that there are more work sites in the city, but fewer inspectors to ensure those sites are safe for workers.
Whether you are a construction worker who has been injured on a construction site, or you have lost a beloved family member to a construction accident, you should know that you may be able to benefit from workers’ compensation. Consider meeting with an attorney to help you bring a claim that fully illustrates the severity of your injuries or loss. This will ensure that you recover the maximum amount of compensation for your circumstances.
Source: Daily News, “EXCLUSIVE: As NYC’s building boom takes off, number of site-safety inspectors drop ? and construction fatalities spike,” Greg B. Smith, Oct. 18, 2015