New City Law Blog

A recent deadly crane accident should serve as a warning to New York construction workers and their employers about how important it is to stay safe around these devices.

In another major city in the country, a crane that was assisting with the construction of a major corporate building suddenly collapsed, falling down to the intersection below.

According to an analysis of statistics available through a government agency and other sources, construction workers in the Manhattan area, including Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, as well as the Bronx, are at a high risk of getting hurt because of a fall.

This analysis concluded that falling to a lower level is, in terms of cost, the leading cause of injuries connected to construction workers' accidents. Falls to a lower level, such as from a ladder, scaffolding and the like, cost $2.5 billion each year, making up over 25 percent of the total cost of work-related injuries in the construction industry.

A worker in New York, whether they live in New City, Westchester County or in some of the neighborhoods like the Bronx or Manhattan, will likely a lot to deal with should she get hurt or sick because of her job. In addition to the emotional stress of the situation and the physical pain, the worker will also likely, and very quickly, begin to wonder how exactly she will be able to make ends meet with mounting medical bills and no paycheck.

Fortunately, New York's workers' compensation program offers benefits on a no-fault basis that can provide injured workers some relief. To give an overview of these benefits, an employer or the employer's insurance company, is expected to cover an injured worker's necessary medical care, so long as that care is related to the on-the-job illness or injury. By way of example, if an employee hurts his back at work, then the employer must pay for things like the x-ray, pain medication and even surgery if that is required.

One of the most serious injuries a worker in New City or other parts of Rockland County or Orange County faces is the possibility of having a part of his body amputated. While the loss of a whole arm or leg is the most serious type of amputation, a worker can also easily lose a finger or a foot while doing his job. In any event, all amputations are serious affairs and will require some permanent changes in a person's lifestyle.

Machinery in particular has the potential for causing an accidental amputation. Particularly common at New York construction sites and industrial facilities, workers frequently have to use machines that cut, turn or bend both rapidly and powerfully. In just a split second, these machines can amputate a worker's limb.