A tragic accident in Harlem injured 18 people when parts of a building and scaffolding fell onto a MTA bus.
Our New York injury lawyer Nicholas Rose realizes this incident could have been much worse if more people were walking near the building when this accident took place.
The scaffolding was assembled to aid in the demolition of a five-story brick building on West 125th Street near Frederick Douglass Boulevard. It appears the company doing the demolition work will be issued numerous violations by The Department of Buildings. According to a Harlem Councilwoman, the company was using unlawful mechanical equipment and the procedures they were using to conduct the demolition were not correct.
Eight passengers on the bus, which was about to leave the bus stop, were among the injured. Several pedestrians trapped under the debris of bricks and rocks had to be rescued by emergency personnel. A construction worker suffered the most serious injury as the result of the fall he took when he jumped off the falling scaffold. At least three additional workers sustained minor injuries.
Fire officials on the scene reported that none of the injuries appeared life threatening. While digging through the debris to rescue trapped victims, two law enforcement officers suffered minor injuries. Preliminary reports indicate that while the elevator shaft was being demolished, bricks and debris fell from the building. They hit the scaffolding, which, in turn, caused it to fall onto the bus.
There had been complaints made to the Buildings Department about the demolition site but no violations were discovered by the inspectors who went to investigate. After the accident federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the city Department of Buildings will be visiting the site.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are roughly 2.3 million people working in the construction industry and about 70 percent of them work on scaffolds. Last year, OSHA reported about 100 workers in the U.S. died from injuries suffered in scaffold accidents.
The leading causes of scaffolding injuries were the worker slipped, the support planking broke or a worker was hit by a falling object. Serious accidents have been reduced due to OSHA enacting more stringent regulations. It is the law that employers take the proper preventive measures to ensure the safety of their employees and to shield individuals from harm when on and around scaffolds.
There are unique laws in the City of New York regarding liability involving scaffolding accidents. Property owners and contractors are held accountable for the safety of all (workers and pedestrians) that may be injured in a scaffolding accident. Hiring the right attorney who is knowledgeable of the particular conditions of the New York scaffolding laws is extremely valuable. Answers to questions regarding the bracing, the assembly, the work platform and the procedures for securing the scaffolding are vitally important.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a New York scaffolding accident, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your case. Call toll free at 1-877-313-ROSE(7673).
More Blog Entries:
New York construction workers have a high risk of fall accidents, on-the-job injuries, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, May 6, 2011.
Improvements aim to Reduce Risk of New York City Pedestrian Accidents this Spring, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, April 23, 2011.
