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 Tagged with brooklyn construction accident

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Google map view of the location of the accident before illegal work startedThe recent catastrophe in Borough Park, Brooklyn, where a 33-year-old construction worker, Juan Ganche, lost his life due to a floor collapse in a residential home, is a reminder of the critical importance of adhering to construction safety regulations. This accident, occurring under the shadow of illegal work and oversight failures, not only ended a life prematurely but also exposed the systemic issues plaguing construction sites across New York City.

Juan Ganche, a dedicated worker who had been contributing to the construction industry since his arrival in the United States from Ecuador 14 years ago, was tragically killed when the first floor of the structure he was working on collapsed into the cellar.

This accident, which marked the first construction site fatality in New York City this year, has once again brought to the forefront the perilous conditions under which many construction workers operate.

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659 Flushing Ave in Brooklyn where the construction worker was injured in a trench collapse A construction worker was trapped and seriously injured in a trench collapse at 659 Flushing Ave. in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC. The heroic efforts of firefighters saved his life, but this accident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by construction workers and the need for increased safety measures.

On the morning of July 18, the sides of an excavation site at 659 Flushing Avenue gave way, burying a construction worker under approximately three feet of debris. Thankfully, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) responded promptly, and a team of firefighters was dispatched to the scene to rescue the trapped worker.

As the DOB continues investigations, it is important to note that this tragedy might have been prevented. City records indicate that the three-story building at the construction site was scheduled for full demolition. In February, the contractor responsible for the project, Red Brick Property Management, was issued a violation for failing to notify the city before commencing demolition work. Although the violation was later dismissed, it raises concerns about the adherence to safety protocols and regulations.

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NYC construction workersConstruction sites are one of the most dangerous places to work, and the risks are amplified when workers do not receive proper training on safety protocols. Unfortunately, three individuals in Brooklyn have been indicted for allegedly forging and selling fake safety cards to construction workers who never received the required training. As NYC construction accident attorneys, we know that this kind of fraud is not only illegal, but it also puts workers’ lives at risk.

Among the 3 people arrested, one was authorized by OSHA to train construction workers but would sell cards without providing training

Latecia Moore, Alex Kaushanskiy, and Benedetto Bonello are accused of creating and distributing fake safety cards to construction workers, indicating that they had completed the required safety courses approved by OSHA or Site Safety Training certification. Moore allegedly made and sold fake cards to customers for $200 to $650 each, while Kaushanskiy’s company, Odessa Safety, sold phony cards without providing the training. Bonello, who is authorized by OSHA to train workers, allegedly sold fraudulent cards without providing the required training.

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440 HarmanA Nassau contractor whose negligence caused the death of a 5 year old child in Brooklyn, NYC, in 2019 has been indicted on  manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, offering a false instrument for filing and falsifying business records. He is due back in court in May.

Alysson Pinto-Chauman had her skull crushed in front of her mom

The accident occurred on August 29 2019. 5 year old Alysson Pinto-Chaumana was with her mom and a group of friends standing in front of the high wall of a property located on Harman Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn when part of the wall suddenly collapsed on the toddler. Her skull was crushed in the accident. Her mom who was standing next to her witnessed the entire scene and said the vision will be engraved in her memory forever.

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location of the blakhoe accidentA New York City pedestrian crossing the street was killed by a backhoe on Friday afternoon. 61 year old Estelle Davis was walking in a crosswalk near New Lots and Van Sinderen Avenues. She was looking down at her phone when a backhoe that was doing work nearby struck her.  The backhoe belongs to Vail Industry, an independent contractor that was hired by Con Ed to perform some work in the area. Estelle Davis was on her way to work. She was a nurse working two jobs and also serves as pastor on Sunday.

The police thought initially that the woman was killed by a hit-and-run driver but a video surveillance captured images of the accident. Investigation is still ongoing but it is not clear yet why heavy construction equipment was backing up in a pedestrian area with no protection or warning. A flag worker was present at the scene but he was positioned on the other side of the machine. (Read more in the NY Daily News )

Extensive regulations have been developed by OSHA to prevent pedestrians being run over by heavy construction equipment

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6 hard hats were injured on construction sites in New York City during the month of April compared to 47 a month earlier and 44 in April 2019. 4 workers were injured on Bronx construction sites and 2 of them on Brooklyn sites. 4 workers suffered minor injuries and 2 others who were injured by a plywood piece  on a windy day, required hospitalization. No fatalities were reported to the DOB during the month of April. The significant decline in construction accident injuries in the city is related to the Covid-19 restrictions that allowed only essential construction sites to be open during the month of April.

Construction Accident Injuries NYC April 2020
In one of the accidents a plumber accidentally screwed his own finger during a plumbing operation. He suffered a cut and was treated at an emergency room. He was then released in stable condition. While the DOB determined that the accident was caused by the worker’s error, inspectors found several safety violations at the construction site located on 1325 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx and issued several citations including: failure to maintain vertical netting, failure to maintain the site clean, failure to provide covers for holes on the floor, failure to protect an elevator shaft opening, failure to install a handrail system on stairways as well as failure to notify the DOB of a change of site safety manager. A partial stop work order was issued.

In an other accident, also in the Bronx, a worker suffered muscle cramps after another worker with whom he was carrying a PVC pipe suddenly put his end down.

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building-before-the-collapseA gym employee miraculously only suffered minor injuries in a building collapse in New York City. The accident occurred last week. The building was under construction for renovations. Last November building inspectors issued 3 violations for “structural cracks and bulging exterior masonry wall”. At the time of the collapse these violations were still open. Additionally, a partial stop work order was issued on June 10 for the same masonry brick wall bulging on the sidewalk with no protection erected around it.

The 3 story building located at the corner of Court Street and Union Street in Carroll Gardens was the home of Body Elite Gym. After the stop order was issued in June, the owners of the gym posted a picture of scaffolding on the sidewalk mentioning the gym was getting an exterior make over and they were looking forward to reopen after the lock-down. The gym was refurbished last year with new equipment.

The building was built 120 years ago according to public records. It was hosting a popular pool hall in the 1960ies. A neighbor who talked to the Daily News said that the building always had a bulge and that he found that very strange.  Complaints of structural instabilities have been filed with the DOB for years.

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Construction Accident Lawyers Gair and DonadioOur NYC construction accident attorneys Anthony H. Gair and Christopher J. Donadio obtained a $4.9 million settlement for a construction worker injured in Brooklyn.

The case involved a worker who was injured while performing renovation work on a multi-family home. On the day of the incident, the worker was instructed by his foreman to remove aluminum siding from the multi-family home. In order to perform the work, the worker was required to stand on an eight foot makeshift scaffold that had been constructed with an A-frame ladder, a pump scaffold pole and a scaffold platform. The worker was unaware that the scaffold platform had not been properly secured. While the worker was performing his work on the scaffold, the unsecured scaffold platform slipped off of the pole that was supporting it, causing the worker to fall down to the ground eight feet below.

The worker was rushed to Lutheran Hospital where he was diagnosed with fractures to his spine and severe damage to his spinal cord. He was forced to undergo several surgeries as a result of his injuries.

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location of the dangerous siteA hard hat suffered life-threatening personal injury after falling in a shaft at a NYC construction site. The worker whose identity wasn’t released was working at a site located at 19 Richardson Street in Brooklyn. He fell head first into a concrete wall and as a result suffered major head trauma.

The worker was installing masonry around the shaft of an unfinished stairwell. He was trying to pry loose a wood plank with a crowbar when the accident occurred.He fell nine feet in the shaft of the yet-to-be-installed stairway and landed on his head in the basement. He was rushed to the hospital where he is listed in critical condition. The worker wasn’t wearing any fall protection equipment and no guardrails were installed around the shaft way.

The NYC Department of Buildings issued a Stop Worker Order and the contractor, AVO Construction LLC was slapped with several violations. The construction site has a history of violations and had a stop order issued last October as well.

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A young construction worker fatally fell from a building in New York City last Wednesday. 23 year old Erik Mendoza was replacing bricks underneath a water tower located on the rooftop of  1 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights when he fell off the building. A Mexican immigrant, Mendoza had arrived in the US 5 years ago.  He had just started his job as a construction worker for the building a week before the accident.

No permit required doesn’t mean no worker protection

The work Mendoza was doing wasn’t didn’t require a permit, however it is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that employees effectuate their work in safe conditions. As he was working under the water tower with a colleague, he slipped and fell 13 stories, landing in front of the entrance of the luxury co-op pre-war building.