Several People Injured In Upper Manhattan Construction Accident After Boom Truck Collapsed By 17th Story Building on 207th Street
UPPER MANHATTAN, NEW YORK (January 10, 2023) – At least five people were injured in an Upper Manhattan accident after a boom truck collapsed at construction site.
New York City police officials are saying that the accident took place around 2:25 p.m. on Tuesday. A knuckle boom truck was lifting loads of plywood when the boom gave way and fell.
Part of the boom went through a green fence before ending up on the sidewalk. Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help all of the victims.
Three people were seriously injured in the collapse and two others sustained minor injuries. The Department of Buildings has issued the worksite two violations.
One of those violations involved a worker who was hit by an aluminum beam.
Liability For Upper Manhattan Construction Accidents
Thousands of workers are seriously injured every year in accidents with falling objects. According to the Safety and Health Magazine, “In 2016, dropped objects resulted in 255 worker fatalities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The issue is one of OSHA’s “Fatal Four” causes of construction deaths, accounting for 9.4% of fatal injuries in the industry.” There are many steps that construction companies should take to help prevent construction accidents.
- All construction equipment used at any site should be regularly inspected and well-maintained.
- Workers at every construction site should be trained to identify potential safety hazards.
- When a worker is performing their job duties at 6 feet above the ground or more, they will need a personal fall arrest system.
- A competent person should inspect construction sites.
Depending on the facts of any case, a construction company could be liable for a construction accident through New York Labor Law § 200. This statute is a codification of an employer’s general duty to maintain job sites in a safe condition. According to the statute, “All machinery, equipment, and devices in such places shall be so placed, operated, guarded, and lighted as to provide reasonable and adequate protection to all such persons.” If a company fails to provide their workers with a reasonably safe environment, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. It is important that many steps are taken after any construction accident.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Maintenance records for any vehicle involved in an accident should be sought.
- Medical records related to the accident should be preserved.
- An experienced construction accident attorney should be contacted.
It is possible that there are multiple negligent parties for any construction accident. For example, the company that manufactured a boom lift could be liable for an accident. This may be the case if the accident was the result of a defect with the vehicle. Any person that is injured in a construction accident may have legal recourse through a civil claim. A construction accident attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating New York Construction Accidents
We at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. extend our best wishes to all of the workers injured in this collision. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to OSHA. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in an Upper Manhattan construction accident? You may have legal recourse. Our team of construction accident attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they need in order to recover. You can reach out to us anytime at (516) 908-9792.
