$3.58 Million Construction Site Slip and Fall Settlement

Raphaelson & Levine recovered $3.58 million for a construction worker who slipped and fell on snow-covered stairs at a New York reservoir construction site.

Snow, Silence, and a Preventable Fall

Construction work at a New York reservoir required draining the reservoir and building a new shaft and meter chamber below grade. When snow began to accumulate, the general contractor removed its own crew from the site — recognizing the dangerous conditions. Our client and the project manager received no such warning. They were never told to stop working.

Descending the stairway into the shaft, our client slipped on untreated, snow-covered steps and fell. The stairs had not been salted, sanded, or barricaded. The injuries sustained in the fall required immediate medical attention and ongoing treatment that kept the worker off the job for an extended period.

The General Contractor Knew — and Said Nothing

The defense argued our client should have recognized the hazard independently. Our construction accident lawyers countered with evidence showing the general contractor made a deliberate decision to protect its own workers while leaving others exposed. Site logs confirmed the work stoppage order was issued only to the GC's direct employees. No written or verbal notice reached our client's team.

Additionally, our slip and fall attorneys retained meteorological experts to confirm the snowfall timeline and demonstrated that the stairway could have been made safe with minimal effort — salt, sand, or a simple barricade would have prevented the accident entirely.

Accountability at a New York Construction Site

The $3.58 million settlement compensates our client for surgical expenses, lost income, rehabilitation costs, and the lasting physical limitations caused by the fall.

"The general contractor pulled its own people off the site because of snow but left our client working without a word. That kind of selective safety is exactly what New York's labor protections are designed to prevent."

— Howard Raphaelson, Founding Partner at Raphaelson & Levine

If you have been hurt in a slip and fall at a construction site or any New York work environment, our construction injury attorneys have the experience to hold negligent contractors accountable. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.