STEPPING ON DEBRIS OR SLIPPING ON DEBRIS

Can I sue if I slipped on debris on a construction site. Our New York City construction accident lawyers know that the New York Industrial Code requires that all passageways on construction sites be kept free from accumulations of dirt and debris and from any other obstructions or conditions which could cause tripping. New York law also requires that sharp projections which could cut or puncture any construction worker must be removed or covered. This section applies in the all too common situations where nails are stepped on which are left lying around or debris, such as scrap wood or metal is left in a passageway. Another section of the same regulation requires that the parts of floors, platforms and similar areas where people work or pass by must be kept free from accumulations of dirt and debris and from scattered tools and materials and from sharp projections insofar as may be consistent with the work being performed. These provisions taken together provide firm standards which are intended to keep workers who are often carrying heavy materials or dangerous equipment from falling and getting hurt.

DEMOLITION ACCIDENTS 

Demolition workers are also constantly exposed to falling debris, objects and collapsing walls and other structures. Labor Law 241 and the New York industrial code has numerous sections which protect demolition workers from unsafe site conditions.  Some of the more common unsafe site conditions that construction workers encounter while doing demolition includes debris being thrown. To prevent this hazard, the New York Industrial Code requires that safe means of disposing of debris be used, including chutes and that safety nets and sidewalk sheds be provided to protect workers who are working underneath an area where demolition is occurring. 

 Another common unsafe site condition is structural collapses of walls, studs, beams and other materials collapsing. To protect construction workers from being injured from collapsing structural components, the Code prohibits parts of buildings from being left unguarded in such a condition that such parts may fall, collapse or be weakened by wind, pressure or vibration. Likewise, there must be inspections during hand demolition to ensure proper bracing and shoring to prevent personal injuries caused by weakened and deteriorated floors or walls or injury from loosened material.  Therefore, if you were injured because of falling debris or collapsing walls or other structures, or because there was inadequate bracing, shoring, or a lack of overhead protection, you are entitled to money for your personal injuries under Labor Law 241.

ELECTRICAL HAZARDS- LIVE WIRES

One of the most important questions for a construction worker who was electrocuted on a New York construction site, is" I was electrocuted, Can I Sue" The answer is usually Yes. 

The construction accident attorneys at our NYC construction accident law firm, know that a live wire on a construction site is a hazardous condition that construction workers need to be protected from. Any time a worker or their equipment comes in contact with a live wire, the result can be devastating and sometimes fatal.  Often contractors cover wires before the electrical work is done by closing walls or installing drop ceilings over the wires, which exposes workers to the danger of coming into contact with a live wire and being electrocuted. 

New York's Labor laws have strict requirements that are intended to protect workers from being electrocuted.  For example New York's Industrial Code requires that before  any work is started, including any construction, demolition or excavation site work, the contractor must determine the voltage levels of all energized power lines and power facilities around the work site and that all electrical sources be identified by voltage level and phase. The contractors are also required to  inspect and determine if any electrical power circuit, (both exposed or concealed) is located in a position where the performance of the construction work will place any person, tool or machine into physical or electrical contact and the contractor and building site owner must post and maintain proper warning signs where any circuits exist. In addition to just warning the workers, the general contractor and building site owner is required to  make sure that no workers perform work close enough to a power circuit that they may come in contact with the electrical current, unless the worker is protected against electric shock by de-energizing the circuit and grounding it or by guarding the circuit with effective insulation or other means. In other words, if you were shocked at a construction site, it was the general contractors fault for allowing you to work near live current, without proper protection. 

If suffered a personal injury in an electrical accident on a job site, call our construction accident law firm for a free consultation.