Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Posted in Construction Accident

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Construction Safety Week 2025 is underway, and as New York construction accident attorneys, we urge every contractor, laborer, and site manager to take this moment seriously. The weeklong initiative—launched in partnership with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Downconstruction workers moving equipment are at risk of struck by accidents—focuses this year on preventing falls, which remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry.

The 2025 theme, All in Together, is a timely reminder that safety is a shared responsibility. One lapse in protocol, one missing harness, or one ignored warning sign can lead to catastrophic injury or death. That’s why this Wednesday, May 7, companies across the U.S. and Canada are being asked to pause work and participate in the largest coordinated safety stand-down in the industry’s history.

From a legal perspective, we’ve seen far too many cases where a worker’s life was forever changed due to preventable falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, or other elevated surfaces. And in New York, under Labor Law §§ 240 and 241, contractors and property owners have a clear and non-delegable duty to provide proper fall protection. When they fail to do so, we step in to fight for justice.

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Car Accidents, Bicycle Crashes, Pedestrian Knockdowns, and Construction Injuries Spike as New Yorkers Head Outdoors

As New York thaws from winter and the streets grow busier, personal injury claims tend to rise—often sharply—during the spring months. At Gair, Gcommon NY personal injuries in the springair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our attorneys have represented victims of serious accidents for more than 100 years. Below are the most common spring-related personal injury cases we see across New York City.

1. Car Accidents Increase with Holiday Travel and Wet Roads

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construction workers must be protectedConstruction remains one of the most hazardous industries in New York City, placing not only workers but also pedestrians and residents at risk when safety corners are cut. As NYC construction accident lawyers representing injured workers and families for decades, we have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of preventable site accidents. The recent announcement by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) to create a new task force targeting risky construction sites is a critical step toward enhancing accountability and protecting lives.

According to CBS New York, DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo is launching an aggressive initiative to identify unsafe job sites and scrutinize the developers, contractors, and engineers responsible for them. The move comes in response to persistent safety failures, including high-profile collapses like the 2023 Bronx building disaster and more recent incidents involving crane mishandling in Midtown.

A Dangerous Industry with Preventable Tragedies

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location of the crane accident in ManhattanOn the afternoon of April 4, 2025, a harrowing crane accident in Midtown Manhattan nearly turned catastrophic. Around 3:00 PM, two small cranes collapsed at a construction site on Ninth Avenue and West 38th Street, sending metal and debris crashing down onto sidewalk scaffolding and even shearing off a nearby tree​.

On the afternoon of April 4, 2025, a harrowing crane accident in Midtown Manhattan nearly turned catastrophic. Around 3:00 PM, two small cranes collapsed at a construction site on Ninth Avenue and West 38th Street, sending metal and debris crashing down onto sidewalk scaffolding and even shearing off a nearby tree. According to officials, a mini “spyder” crane positioned on the roof was hoisting a second small crane from the 9th floor up to the 10th floor when the rooftop crane suddenly became dislodged. This caused both pieces of equipment to plummet off the building, smashing through the sidewalk shed below. In an instant, tons of steel came raining down in a busy Manhattan neighborhood.

Remarkably – and fortunately – no injuries were reported in this incident. Surveillance footage from a nearby business shows a family walking along Ninth Avenue, only to break into a sprint as the scaffolding begins to collapse behind them. In the video, you can see debris exploding onto the sidewalk and street as the family and other pedestrians run for their lives. It’s a chilling reminder of how close this accident came to causing serious harm. As FDNY officials noted, it was “an incredibly lucky day” – the collapse occurred just two blocks from Times Square, an area where hundreds of people walk by every minute, and it is truly fortunate that no one was caught under the falling cranes and rubble. Ninth Avenue was shut down as a precaution, and officials began the painstaking work of securing the area and investigating how this near-disaster occurred.

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NYC construction workers have a high risk of fatalitiesConstruction employers are now required to provide properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) to all workers. Here’s what you need to know to stay compliant.

As of January 2025, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all construction employers provide workers with properly fitting PPE—aligning the construction industry with a rule that has long applied to general industry. This update aims to enhance safety by ensuring that protective gear such as harnesses, hard hats, gloves, goggles, and vests fit correctly, reducing both primary and secondary hazards.

For New York City construction companies, contractors, and site managers, this means adjusting procurement policies, expanding PPE size options, and incorporating PPE checks into daily safety protocols. Failing to comply could not only result in OSHA citations but also expose companies to liability in the event of worker injuries.

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Deadly Skyline Cover from March 2025The latest “Deadly Skyline” report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) paints a grim picture for construction workers in New York City and across the state. The data reveals that construction fatalities continued to rise in 2023, underscoring the urgent need for stronger safety measures and enforcement to protect the lives of those who build our skyline.

The Alarming Rise in Construction Worker Fatalities

The statistics are staggering:

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MTA_New_York_City_Bus_Orion_VII_Next_Generation_2009

A tragic accident on Sunday night in Midtown Manhattan claimed the life of 39-year-old Vladimir Cruz, a construction worker from the South Bronx. Around 9:30 p.m., an M1 MTA bus traveling southbound on 5th Avenue near East 51st Street struck the base of a boom lift Cruz was operating. The collision caused Cruz to fall from the lift, resulting in fatal head and bodily injuries. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital but sadly did not survive.

The driver remained at the scene, and the NYPD is continuing its investigation. While no arrests have been made, this incident underscores the critical need for swift action in protecting the legal rights of the victim’s family.

Preserving Legal Rights After a Fatal MTA Bus Accident

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construction workers must be protectedConstruction work is demanding, even under ideal conditions. When winter brings extreme cold to New York, the risks to construction workers increase significantly. As construction accident lawyers, we know how crucial it is for workers and employers to take steps to mitigate these dangers and prevent life-altering injuries.

How Cold Weather Impacts Construction Safety

Extreme cold can affect both the physical and mental abilities of construction workers, increasing the likelihood of accidents. New York winters often bring freezing temperatures, icy conditions, and heavy snowfalls that exacerbate these risks. Here are some key dangers:

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Construction_worker_harness-1As construction accident attorneys, we have witnessed firsthand the severe consequences that can arise from ill-fitting PPE:

  • Inadequate Protection: PPE that does not fit properly may leave parts of the body exposed to hazards, rendering the equipment ineffective.
  • Increased Accident Risk: Loose or oversized PPE can become entangled in machinery or obstruct a worker’s movement, leading to accidents and injuries.
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construction workers must be protectedThe latest data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on November 8, 2023, offers a nuanced view of workplace safety trends in the construction industry. While the rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses among construction workers declined slightly, the raw number of injuries rose, highlighting both progress and areas needing improvement in jobsite safety.

Construction Accident Injury Rate Declines, But Total Injuries Increase

In 2023, the construction industry reported 2.3 nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, a modest drop from 2.4 in 2022. This improvement brought construction’s injury rate below the national average of 2.4 across all U.S. industries. However, the total number of reported nonfatal injuries and illnesses increased by 2.1%, climbing from 169,600 cases in 2022 to 173,200 in 2023.

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