$750,000 Roof Fall Settlement in Nassau County

Sent onto a roof with no harness, no safety line, and no protection of any kind, a worker in Hempstead fell to the ground below — another preventable injury caused by an employer's refusal to provide basic safety equipment.

Roof Fall at a Nassau County Property

Our client was hired to perform roofing work at a residential property on East Columbia Street in Hempstead. Working at the roof's edge, he lost his footing and fell to the ground below. No body harness had been provided. No safety line was anchored to the roof. No guardrails protected the perimeter. The property owner and the contractor who hired our client provided zero fall protection equipment.

The fall caused bilateral calcaneus fractures — both heel bones shattered on impact with the ground. Calcaneus fractures are among the most painful and disabling injuries in orthopedics, often requiring reconstructive surgery and leaving permanent limitations on walking and standing.

Strict Liability Under Labor Law §240 in Nassau County

New York Labor Law §240 requires property owners and general contractors to provide proper safety devices to workers performing tasks at elevation. When no safety equipment is provided and a worker falls, the statute imposes strict liability — the property owner is responsible regardless of whether the worker was negligent or contributed to the accident.

Our attorneys documented the complete absence of fall protection at the job site. No harness was available on site. No anchor points had been installed on the roof. No safety netting was placed below the work area. The property owner had hired the crew directly without requiring any safety plan or equipment, in violation of both the Labor Law and OSHA roofing safety standards.

"Zero safety equipment at a roof elevation. No harness, no line, no net, no guardrails. Labor Law §240 does not require us to prove negligence in these circumstances — the absence of any safety device is the liability. This worker should never have been on that roof without protection." — Howard Raphaelson, Founding Partner

$750,000 Settlement for a Nassau County Roof Fall

This $750,000 settlement covers bilateral calcaneus reconstruction, extended non-weight-bearing recovery, physical therapy, custom orthotics, lost wages, and the permanent walking and standing limitations our client now lives with. It holds the property owner strictly liable for sending a worker onto a roof without a single piece of safety equipment.

If you fell from a roof, scaffold, or ladder at a construction site, our construction accident attorneys have decades of experience with Labor Law §240 claims and are ready to review your case.