FALLS ON STAIRWAYS AND FROM LADDERS CAUSE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INJURIES TO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT JOBSITES
According to a recent report published by the U.S. Department of Labor, construction accidents are most often a result of noncompliance with well-established OSHA standards. The report made particular mention of accidents involving stairway and ladder hazards that cause injuries to construction workers.
Despite existing regulations designed to prevent stairway and ladder accidents, experts who prepared the report said that upon reviewing compliance problems and public comments received over the past 10 years, regulations that address stairway and ladder accidents need to be “updated, reformatted and clarified to provide employers with appropriate guidance and to make the standards easier to use and understand.”
OSHA estimates that each year there are as many as 36 fatalities and 24,882 injuries that occur due to falls on stairways and from ladders on construction sites. According to OSHA, 65% of those injured require medical treatment.
A recent corollary study by the Bureau of Labor Statistic of 1400 ladder accidents found that:
- 42 percent of those injured were working on the ladder when the accident happened.
- 66% of those injured had not been trained in how to inspect ladders for defects before using them.
- 4 % of the ladders involved in the accidents did not have uniformly spaced steps.
- 19 % of the ladders involved in the accidents had one or more defects.
- 39% of the ladders involved in the accidents had not been extended 3 feet above the landing level.
- 53% of the non-self-supporting ladders involved in the accidents had not been secured, or braced, at the bottom.
- 61% of the ladders involved in the accidents had not been secured at the top.
- 53% of the ladders involved in the accidents broke during use.
If you have been injured due to a fall down a stairway, or from a ladder, or have suffered from forklift accidenst or injuries, the only recourse for you, or a family member, may have to get the compensation you deserve is to hire a top New York construction accident lawyer to pursue a construction accident law suit. We strongly suggest you contact the New York construction accident law firm of Raphaelson & Levine for a free consultation. By calling the telephone number listed above; or by filling out the “Legal Assistance” form on our website, you can speak with one of our experienced New York construction accident lawyers immediately.
Recent Case Study: Construction worker receives $840,000 award at mediation
Howard Raphaelson and Andrew Levine served justice this week for a 50-year- old construction worker. The client was using a ladder in order to perform alterations to a ceiling and pipe in the kitchen of a NYC restaurant. He was severely injured when the improperly secured ladder failed, causing the worker to fall approximately 10 feet. He sustained severe fractures to the bottom of both of his legs.
This case was mediated before one of New York’s best and most experienced mediators, Peter Merani. The mediation included the lawyers representing the owner of the restaurant as well as the owner of the building. Although both owners were corporate entities, there were common principals to each corporation.
The matter was resolved for in favor of Raphaelson’s and Levine’s client in the amount of $840,000.00.
“This award,” Howard Raphaelson said, “will insure that our client’s family will have enough income during his lifetime, even if he never works again. This result was the culmination of several years of hard work and commitment.”
