$600,000 Work Site Trip and Fall Settlement in Manhattan

Loose planks at a work site — left unsecured where workers had to walk. Our client's foot caught on the planks and she fell, injuring her right ankle, right shoulder, left arm, and neck. Four body regions damaged by a hazard that should never have been on the ground.

Trip and Fall on Unsecured Planks at a Work Site

Our client was at a work site when she tripped on planks that had been left loose and unsecured on a walking surface. The planks were not stored properly, not cordoned off, and not marked as a hazard — they were simply left in an area where workers were required to walk. When our client's foot caught on the edge of the planks, she fell to the ground with enough force to cause injuries to four body regions: her right ankle, right shoulder, left arm, and cervical spine.

Each of these injuries required its own course of treatment. The right ankle injury affected mobility and weight-bearing. The right shoulder injury limited upper-body function and range of motion. The left arm injury compounded the functional limitations. And the cervical spine injury introduced neck pain, stiffness, and radiating symptoms that affected daily activities from sleeping to driving. The combination of injuries across four body regions produced a recovery process that was longer and more complex than any single injury would have been.

Work Site Safety Failures and Property Owner Liability

Work sites require constant attention to housekeeping and hazard elimination. Loose materials on walking surfaces — planks, lumber, debris, tools — represent trip hazards that must be secured, stored, or removed before workers are exposed to them. Property owners and general contractors have overlapping duties to maintain safe conditions at work sites, and both can be held liable when a failure to manage basic housekeeping results in a worker's injury.

Our attorneys investigated the site conditions at the time of the fall, the responsible parties' safety protocols, and whether the unsecured planks had been reported or should have been identified during routine safety inspections. The evidence established that the planks had been left in the walking path for a period sufficient to be discovered and removed through the exercise of reasonable care. The failure to secure or remove the planks was a violation of basic work site safety standards.

"Planks left on a walking surface at a work site. It's the most basic housekeeping failure in construction — unsecured materials where people walk. Our client tripped, fell, and injured her ankle, shoulder, arm, and neck. Four body regions, each requiring its own treatment protocol, each adding complexity to the recovery. The property owner had a duty to keep that walking surface clear, and the evidence showed the planks had been there long enough to be removed." — Jason Krakower, Attorney

$600,000 Settlement for a Work Site Trip and Fall

This $600,000 settlement covers treatment for injuries to four body regions — right ankle, right shoulder, left arm, and cervical spine — along with rehabilitation, lost wages, and the permanent functional limitations our client now manages. It holds the responsible parties accountable for a basic work site safety failure that was entirely preventable.

If you were injured by an unsafe condition at a work site, our premises liability attorneys have experience with work site negligence claims and are ready to review your case.