Articles Posted in Construction, Industrial and Workplace Accidents

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The Post-Standard via Syracuse.com reports that a construction worker fell from a steel beam six stories above the ground while working on renovations of the Landmark Theatre last weeek. Fortunately, the man’s fall was arrested by his safety equipment, but he was forced to dangle at the end of an 8 foot harness for over an hour while waiting to be rescued. The accident occurred during the demolition portion of the renovation, when a large piece of concrete pinned the worker’s safety line to the beam. During the rescue effort, a co-worker first attached a second safety line, then he and local firefighters were able to lower the worker to the ground with a cherry-picker. The man was eventually taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Construction accidents like these happen far more often than you would think, and while the worker in this case escaped unharmed, in many other instances the victims are not nearly so lucky. Such mishaps can result in serious injuries, including chronic pains, loss of a limb, paraplegia, and even death. Safety harnesses, hard hats, and other safety protocols are put in place to prevent such injuries at construction sites, but accidents still inevitably occur. If you were injured on the job, it is in your best interest to speak with a Syracuse New York construction accident attorney immediately. A trained lawyer can apprise you of your rights and help you pursue a course of action in your best interests.

If you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney, contact Bottar Law, PLLC at (315) 422-3466, (800) 336-LAWS, or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com. Our lawyers have successfully represented many clients who were involved in all manner of workplace accidents.

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On Tuesday morning, a man was injured in a logging accident near Turin, New York according to a Post-Standard report on Syracuse.com. The man sustained several serious injuries, including a broken spine, collarbone, and ribs while trying to cut down a large conifer tree. Thankfully the man is now in stable condition after being rescued and airlifted to a nearby hospital by the local sheriff’s department

In higher risk professions like logging, mining, and construction, mishaps and injuries are all too common. Injuries on the job are not only limited to dangerous occupations, however, and accidents occur in most every industry. No matter how many safety precautions are taken, mistakes are made, equipment fails, and people get hurt in workplace accidents every year. This news story shows just how severe the consequences of an unsafe work environment can be, and the injuries suffered by the victim will no doubt require a sizable amount of medical care. Treatment is expensive, and the workers compensation system is quite complex to navigate without help. If you were injured on the job, the aid of a Syracuse New York workplace accident attorney provides invaluable guidance and advice that will help get you the medical services you need and get you back to work.

To discuss your case or concerns with an accomplished personal injury attorney, contact Bottar Law, PLLC at (315) 422-3466, (800) 336-LAWS, or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com. Our lawyers have successfully represented clients injured in all manner of workplace accidents, so call today to put our experience to work for you.

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Syracuse work injury lawyer Anthony S. Bottar, Esq., was consulted on Friday by the Binghamton Sun in connection with the June 3 Binghamton New York scaffolding collapse.

News reports indicate that a subcontractor hired by Apple Roofing erected the scaffolding on Binghamton University property. That scaffolding failed and several workers were injured. According to Mr. Bottar, whose practice is limited to representation of those catastrophically injured due to construction accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, defective products, and dangerous structures/roadways, “[t]he owner and the general contractor are the ones responsible when a scaffold fails and it leads to injury.”

NOTE: Because the property is owned by the State of New York, either individually or by and through the Dormitory Authority, there is very little time for the injured workers to act. More specifically, they have only 90 days (from the collapse) to file a document called a Notice of Intention to Claim.

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A scaffolding erected in Binghamton on June 2, 2010 collapsed yesterday, the first day it was put into use. The scaffolding, which was built alongside a dormitory as part of a multi-million dollar construction project underway at Binghamton University, was intended to be used to elevate construction workers assigned to the project.

According to the Syracuse work injury lawyers at Bottar Law, PLLC, on June 3, 2010, six Syracuse-based Apple Roofing employees were on the scaffolding platform when it failed. Each of the men fell more than five stories to the ground, suffering severe personal injuries. One worker is in critical condition. OSHA, the organization responsible for investigating work injuries, such as New York construction workers injured in a fall, is reviewing the cause of the Binghamton construction accident.

While it is too early to tell who is responsible for the Binghamton scaffolding collapse, if anyone, there are several entities who could be responsible. By operation of the New York State Labor Laws, specifically section 240, all contractors, property owners, and their agents who are engaged in erection, demolition, repair, alteration, painting, cleaning or pointing of a building or structure may be liable for injuries where a construction worker falls from a height due to the lack of proper scaffolding, hoists, stays, ladders, slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, braces, irons, ropes and other safety devices.

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Earlier today, a scaffolding collapsed in Binghamton. Several Syracuse roofers were injured.

Pursuant to the New York State Labor Laws, namely section 240(2), all “scaffolding” or “staging” more than twenty feet above the ground must be equipped with a safety rail or suitable material properly attached, bolted, braced, or otherwise secured, rising at least thirty-four inches above the floor or main portions of the scaffolding or staging. The safety rail must extend the entire length of the scaffolding, with no openings in the platform any larger than necessary for the delivery of materials. All scaffolding must be constructed to hold four times the maximum weight placed upon the scaffolding when it is in use.

While it is too early to determine why the Binghamton scaffolding collapse occurred, there are several potentially liable entities, including the property owner and contractors working on the jobsite. An OSHA investigation is underway.

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Nearly 80 Central New York employers received a letter this week from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration because of high rates of workplace injuries or illnesses. According to Syracuse New York workplace injury lawyers Bottar Law, PLLC, the letters are intended to notify employers to take action to protect workers injured on the job and to prevent permanent disability from workplace accidents.

Some Syracuse-area employers who received a letter from OSHA include: TAG Mechanical Systems, Inc.; Metalico Aluminum Recovery; Optogenics; Hanford Pharmaceuticals; Cardinal Health; Pepsi-Cola; Estes Express; Berry Plastics; Syracuse Haulers; C&S Technical; Penn Traffic Company; Lowe’s Home Centers. Utica-area employers who received a letter from OSHA include: Matt Brewing Company; and Sturges Manufacturing Company. Rome-area employers who received a letter from OSHA include: RPNH, Inc.; International Wire Group; and Conmed Corporation. Oswego-area employers who received a letter from OSHA include: Oswego Wire Incorporated; Golden Sun Bus Service; Loretto-Oswego Residential; and Sunrise Nursing Home. Watertown-area employers who received a letter from OSHA include: Car-Freshener Corporation; Tontarski, inc; and Atlas Health Care. Binghamton-area employers who received a letter from OSHA include:Johnson Outdoors Gear; Methodist HM; and Dons Automotive Mall.

What does receipt of a letter mean? Probably nothing more than an employer’s employees missed an above average number of days of work. Possible explanations could include illnesses such as the flu, or accidents due to unsafe working conditions. These accidents may render a laborer unable to work and permanently disabled. In order to secure compensation for serious personal injuries, you may need to hire a Syracuse site construction accident lawyer to file a construction accident lawsuit for nerve damage, or a Utica construction site fall lawyer to file an industrial accident lawsuit for brain damage, a Rome workplace accident lawyer to file a workplace accident lawsuit for complex regional pain syndrome, an Oswego jobsite injury lawyer to file a jobsite injury lawsuit for an amputation, a Binghamton scaffolding accident lawyer to file a scaffolding accident lawsuit for paralysis, or a Watertown falling object lawyer to file a injured worker lawsuit for a concussion.
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A new scaffold design was selected by the City of New York to protect laborers working at a height and appease store owners. According to Syracuse New York construction accident lawyers Bottar Law, PLLC, a scaffold is a temporary structure built by construction workers to elevate contractors and protect the public from falling objects. In most cases, scaffolding consists of anchors, metal pipes and planks or platforms.

The new design is called “Urban Umbrella.” Like the name suggests, the new design resembles an umbrella – only upside down. Opponents to the design complain that scaffolds are already dangerous and it is reckless, at a time when scaffolding fabrication and assembly should be standardized, to encourage form over function. That is, property owners and contractors should be working toward ensuring that support posts are properly bolted to support beams, and that support beams are properly secured to planks, rather than investing time and money into whether scaffolding is pleasing to the eye of building and store owners.

Scaffolding accidents happen every day. All too often because of negligence. Indeed, 25% of laborers injured in a scaffold accident reported that they had never been trained on how to work safely on or from a scaffold. To cut down on New York construction, industrial and workplace accidents, the legislature adopted very specific laws that afford injured laborers compensation for, e.g., falls from a height. These worker protection laws are known as “Labor Laws.”
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Last month, Michael A. Bottar, Esq., a Syracuse work injury lawyer with Bottar Law, PLLC, secured $1,700,000.00 in compensation from two corporate defendants for injuries arising out of a 2006 incident that occurred at an Adirondack mine. The Syracuse construction site accident lawsuit alleged that the property owner failed to warn the worker about a rotten utility pole. The New York work injury lawsuit also alleged that the general contractor failed to provide the worker with safety measures to prevent injury should the utility pole break, and asserted that both defendants violated the New York State Labor Laws designed to protect injured construction workers. While the lineman was working on the utility pole, it broke at the base due to rot. He fell to the ground and was crushed by the pole.

The 44 year old plaintiff was permanently, totally disabled by his construction site fall. The recovery provided for nearly $1,000,000.00 in compensation for the worker’s past and future pain and suffering, as well as $700,000.00 for his medical bills and lost wages.

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A Binghamton demolition project is underway at 39 Charlotte Street. Yesterday, Broome County workers began deconstructing the building to make way for new construction on the street. Charlotte Street is largely industrial. Binghamton residents are hopeful that removal of abandoned buildings will increase the potential for retail expansion into the area.

While demolition of the building is a step toward beautification of the City, it is a dangerous activity that places construction workers and manual laborers at risk for accidents, injuries and permanent disability. Injured demolition workers may be entitled to compensation.
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Yesterday, a New York construction worker was severely injured on the job when he was struck in the head by granite slabs intended for installation as a kitchen countertop. The injuries proved fatal.

The workplace death is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If there were OSHA safety violations, or of the worker was killed due to the negligence of anyone other than his employer, his family may be entitled to compensation for his pain and suffering and wrongful death.
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