Arye, Lustig & Sassower Blog

Forklift mishap: Construction worker crushed to death in Brooklyn

On behalf of Mitchell Sassower of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Friday, January 18, 2019.

Another New York City construction worker was killed by another silly, preventable accident. This time, it was a forklift mishap that sent debris falling onto the victim, according to the New York Post.

The Post reported that the worker was crushed by materials at a site on Myrtle Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. Apparently, a forklift tipped over on the roof of the building and dropped the deadly load. The worker was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and died soon after the incident, according to the story.

Man injured by falling construction debris ... in his own shower

On behalf of Mitchell Sassower of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Friday, January 18, 2019.

We blog regularly about construction workers getting hurt on the job because of dangerous work conditions. Sometimes innocent bystanders are injured by construction negligence, too.

In a bizarre recent case, an Upper East Side man was struck by falling construction debris in his own bathroom. On Wednesday, January 9, the man was injured while taking a shower in his apartment on East 63rd Street, according to a New York Post story.

More scaffold injuries: 3 construction workers fall in Brooklyn

On behalf of Mitchell Sassower of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Friday, January 18, 2019.

A disturbing pattern of scaffold-related construction injuries continues in New York City. While developers and contractors enrich themselves, many laborers risk their lives in unsafe conditions.

On January 3, three workers plunged one story from a code-violating sidewalk shed as they were installing a scaffold on Driggs Avenue in Brooklyn, according to an ABC-7 news report. ABC reported that the workers fell when a parapet wall failed at the Williamsburg site.

Attack on NY's construction "Scaffold Law" is stopped in Congress

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Sunday, December 2, 2018.

Common sense teaches us that everyone should be able to do their job in a safe environment. This includes New York City construction workers.

Recently, New York's well-known "Scaffold Law," which protects countless workers in the city (as well as throughout the state), was challenged, unsuccessfully, on the federal level. According to the the Times Herald-Record, a bill co-introduced in Congress by Republican John Faso, who represents upstate constituents in Sullivan and Ulster counties, had many workers and safety advocates concerned.

Harlem crane collapses, construction bosses charged with crimes

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Saturday, December 1, 2018.

Workers can die when construction contractors and builders are negligent. Unfortunately, New York City construction workers experience serious, preventable injuries on a regular and increasing basis.

Sometimes managers and owners are held criminally accountable when their workers get hurt and killed on job sites. As reported by Pix 11, two construction supervisors have been charged in connection with a negligent crane accident in Harlem that almost killed two workers.

Scaffold engineer fined and rebuked by DOB after SoHo collapse

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Friday, November 30, 2018.

In New York City, many construction workers and innocent bystanders have been seriously injured by preventable accidents and mishaps involving scaffolding. Who is to blame for the injuries and deaths that continue to occur? How are negligent parties held responsible?

In many of these cases, contractors and builders are sued through third-party claims that provide money damages to victims. But sometimes other parties are held accountable for negligence. In one recent case, an engineer was taken to task.

Attack on NY's construction "Scaffold Law" is stopped in Congress

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. posted in Construction Accidents on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

Common sense teaches us that everyone should be able to do their job in a safe environment. This includes New York City construction workers.

Recently, New York's well-known "Scaffold Law," which protects countless workers in the city, was challenged, unsuccessfully, on the federal level. According to the the Times Herald-Record, a bill co-introduced in Congress by Republican John Faso, who represents upstate constituents in Sullivan and Ulster counties, had many workers and safety advocates concerned.

Construction worker injured after falling into a hole in Brooklyn

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Tuesday, November 20, 2018.

A construction worker was seriously injured after falling into a hole on Union Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, according to a Daily News report. The worker was apparently rescued by firefighters after plummeting 15 feet below street level and taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.

As is the case with similar accidents, complaints were made to the Department of Buildings concerning worker safety at the Brooklyn site. While many other New York City construction workers and their families have experienced life-threatening injuries on unsafe job sites recently, there are indications that things are getting worse with regard to injuries.

Construction worker falls five stories in the East Village

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Monday, November 19, 2018.

Each year in New York City, numerous workers fall from heights on construction sites. Many of them lose their lives.

In May, a 62-year-old construction worker fell from a scaffold, this time on First Avenue near Houston Street in the East Village. The worker plunged five stories from a height of about 60 feet, according to a Patch story which referred to a tweet about the incident from the NYPD's 9th Precinct.

Long Island house collapses on construction crew, injuring worker

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Monday, November 19, 2018.

A construction crew was working on a Long Island house when the entire home collapsed backward. Six workers were present at the time of the incident, and one of them was seriously injured when his leg was crushed by a girder.

The property in Babylon, New York, which had been damaged by superstorm Sandy, was being lowered onto its new foundation when a hydraulic jack failed, according to a report from Newsday.

Case Results

Since 1965, we’ve recovered over $1 BILLION on behalf of our clients. read more

$2.1 million settlement

for 33-year old electrician who fell from ladder while attempting to fit heavy cable into crown box when cable sprung back and struck him, causing him to suffer left shoulder injury with impingement.
$1.6 million settlement

for 38-year old electrician who slipped and fell on debris on stairway with resulting cervical herniated disc and aggravation of pre-existing arthritic changes.
$2.55 million settlement

for 42-year old electrician who fell into an uncovered, unprotected hole and suffered a severe low back injury with herniated disc(s) that required surgery at L4-5 and L5-S1 levels.
$1.75 million settlement

for 26-year old construction worker who fell through opening in roof and fractured his wrist, requiring surgery with open reduction and internal fixation, external fixation device, and eventual fusion.
$2.5 million settlement

for 38-year old female electrician (with history of prior neck injury) who tripped on uneven Masonite protective floor covering, and suffered neck injury with herniated discs requiring cervical fusion.
$1.2 million settlement

during trial for 40-year old sheet metal worker who was struck in the neck and shoulder by an air conditioning unit and suffered herniated cervical discs and cervical radiculopathy.