One of the most dangerous jobs in any city is that of a construction worker. But New York City has always had the reputation of being a particularly dangerous work environment. Unfortunately, this reputation really does seem to be borne out by the statistics.
A Recent Building Boom Has Led to Higher Fatality Rates
There’s been a boom in New York City building construction in recent years. While this is great news for workers in the construction industry, it also comes at a very steep price. Fatalities have also increased. In the first half of 2018, 469 people were injured in 457 separate accidents at construction sites. There were 8 fatalities in total.
In the past two years, the city of New York has issued 168,243 construction permits. This is an all-time high for the construction industry. There were also 45,242 people registered as construction workers in the city, another all-time high. Workers in this industry accounted for a sobering 37.5 percent of all work-related deaths in New York City.
Are Any Measures Being Taken to Mitigate the Danger?
It should be noted that there are several measures that are being taken in order to reduce these high injury and fatality statistics. The mayor of New York City has signed a requirement that compels construction workers to log more hours of safety training.
The mayor also approved the imposition of higher penalties for safety lapses. These penalties are now four times what they used to. A new generation of safety inspectors has also been tasked with the job of enforcing them.
What to Do if You Are Involved in an NYC Construction Accident
If you were injured in a construction accident in New York City, you should be aware of your rights. You may have medical bills to pay as well as any lost wages from your job to recover. You have the right to file your construction accident claim with your insurance company.
Should your insurance offer you a less than adequate settlement or if they dispute your right to claim anything for your injury, you can bypass them. Your best bet will be to hire the services of a qualified New York City construction accident lawyer from our firm. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can get you the settlement you need.
If you were involved in a construction accident, contact Loscalzo & Loscalzo, P.C. at (646) 846-4776 to discuss your case with one of our personal injury attorneys today.