Arye, Lustig & Sassower Blog

Report: Latino, immigrant construction workers face extra dangers

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.

In New York, Latino workers are in danger. A 2019 report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, an advocacy group, found Latinos make up a disproportionate number of worker fatalities in New York. They make up about 10% of the state’s workforce, yet account for 17% of worksite deaths.

Compounding this issue, the group argues, is concern over worksite safety. Latino workers, particularly those who are immigrants, are less likely to report safety violations. Because their livelihood is at stake, they may be worried about retaliation or negative consequences for reporting these issues. This means many of these Latino or immigrant workers may be more likely to work in unsafe conditions.

Safety violations lead to significant fine against contractor

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Saturday, April 18, 2020.

A contractor overseeing a job site in Manhattan was fined nearly $40,000 for what the Department of Buildings (DOB) described as “multiple violating conditions.”

According to the DOB, inspectors to the site at 335 Grand Street noted a handful of worrying safety issues.

Charges: Bosses ignored safety concerns before deadly accident

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

In 2018, we wrote about the death of Luis Almonte Sanchez. The 47-year-old was doing foundation work at the construction site in Sunset Park when a 20-foot retaining wall collapsed, burying him under 15,000-45,000 pounds of brick and debris. Authorities couldn't recover his body until the next day due to the unsafe conditions.

More than a year later, the Brooklyn District Attorney announced an indictment charging three individuals responsible for safety compliance at the construction site. According to the indictment, they ignored warnings about dangerous conditions in the days before the fatal wall collapse.

Do non-union construction workers face more danger?

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

Unions are facing many challenges today, and New York City’s construction industry is no exception. A comptroller report estimates there are just over 400,000 construction workers in the city, the highest figure in the nation. Only about one quarter of those positions are held by union members.

This figure should be alarming. Not only is construction the most dangerous industry in the state, one report suggests working without the protection of a union is even more perilous.

Wall collapse kills 1, seriously injures another

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

One construction worker lost their life and another was seriously injured after a wall collapsed on a Manhattan work site.

According to an ABC 7 report, the two men were doing work on a mixed-use development on the Lower East Side the morning of Oct. 21, 2019. Around 10 a.m., a wall on the site crumbled, with bricks and rubble partially burying the two workers.

NYC pulls riggers' licenses after deadly scaffolding collapse

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Saturday, November 2, 2019.

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) says two riggers ignored safety rules before a construction accident in June that killed one worker and is suspending their licenses as it investigates.

Carlos Olmedo Lala was on a section of pipe scaffolding outside a Manhattan building on June 22, installing new façade bricks and repairing existing ones. The scaffolding reached about 50 feet high, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

Construction worker falls 15 feet in latest incident on busy site

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

State and federal safety officials make it very clear: Falls are one of the deadliest types of accidents on construction sites. Despite this, fall protection standards were the most common type of violation in the industry during the most recent fiscal year, according to federal data.

In Brooklyn, a 45-year-old worker is lucky to be alive after a dangerous fall, the latest incident on a work site with a troubling recent history.

Construction worker dies after becoming entangled in cable

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Friday, October 25, 2019.

A 22-year-old construction worker lost his life after an on-site accident involving a long cable and a pickup truck.

According to a report from the New York Post, Arthur Oldakowski was one of three construction workers on a job in Long Island’s Port Jefferson Station in August of 2019. They had reportedly placed a guide cable on the road along North Bicycle Path and planned to later lift the wire up into the air, above the street. They never got the chance.

For Eight Relatives, A Construction Accident Is Now A Family Tragedy

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Thursday, September 5, 2019.

When José Quizhi heard of a building collapse in the Bronx on Tuesday, he quickly rushed from his New Jersey home to the scene. The reason: his seven relatives were working construction on the site, and Mr. Quizhi was worried for their safety.

His worries turned out to be well-founded, as a family member was crushed to death while another two were seriously injured. Three others suffered minor injuries, leaving only one brother walking away unscathed.

Soft-Tissue Injuries Should Not Be Ignored

On behalf of Carl Lustig of Arye, Lustig & Sassower, P.C. on Wednesday, August 7, 2019.

Many, including those working in jobs that involve heavy manual labor, tend to view broken bones and head injuries as the most serious type of injury. But most also know how debilitating a soft-tissue injury can be, and how it can prevent you from doing even the relatively light manual tasks that may be required in your day to day labor.

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.