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NYC Ladder Accident Lawyers

Ladder accidents on New York construction sites can result in broken bones, neck injuries and even death.

Ladder Accident Lawyers

Broken or unsteady ladders can lead to serious New York construction injuries including spinal cord injuries, broken bones, neck injuries, paralysis and even death. Often, when construction workers suffer such injuries in a ladder accident, those responsible for worksite safety can be held accountable for the injured worker’s damages. An experienced construction accident lawyer with a track record of successfully handling ladder accidents in New York City will take very specific and important steps to protect your rights. These steps include identifying the appropriate defendants in a lawsuit. This will typically start with determining who the owner, property developer and general contractor at the worksite is. They will likely become targets in an eventual lawsuit. Next, the attorney will investigate the circumstances of the accident. A seasoned lawyer’s investigation will include a visit to the location, when practical, interviews of any witnesses, a review of critical paperwork, including any reports from organizations like OSHA and the Department of Buildings, taking and reviewing scene photographs and, finally, confirming that his or her client is receiving the benefits of New York State’s Workers Compensation System.

Ladder Falls: What Every Construction Worker Should Know

Most construction workers who are injured in ladder accidents fall off the ladder when it collapses or is unsteady. An improperly designed, maintained, or used ladder can tip or collapse under the weight of the worker, causing him or her to fall. In order to limit the number of these accidents, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces several regulations regarding ladder use. For instance, OSHA requires that all damaged ladders should be tagged as “Dangerous. Do Not Use.” Other safety precautions for use include:

  • Ladders should be put on secure footing or held in position
  • A ladder should be held in position during use by a co-worker on the ground level
  • Ladders used to reach a roof must extend at least three feet above the point of support
  • When climbing the ladder, the construction worker should always face the ladder
  • Workers should maintain three points of contact on a ladder-making sure that either two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand are always firmly on the ladder. This helps balance and stabilize the ladder and the worker.
  • Short ladders should never be spliced together to form a longer ladder
  • Ladders should not be used in the horizontal position as work platforms
  • The top of a stepladder should never be used as a step
  • Metal ladders should never be used near electrical equipment
  • Ladders should be inspected regularly
  • Ladders should be kept in good condition

Unfortunately, some employers ignore these precautions, allowing their construction employees to work on a hazardous construction site. Many folks have a difficult time conceptualizing why obvious safety precautions may be ignored. It has been our experience that mundane safety rules are never ignored with the expectation that an accident will occur. Most construction site supervisors, at the time they make these decisions, fail to appreciate the risks associated with their choices and assume everything will be alright. They do so because they are operating under intense pressure, usually pressure to finish a job. That pressure is then passed on to the unsuspecting worker who then is forced to assume the risks of the unsafe worksite. More often than anyone cares to admit, serious ladder accidents can be avoided if the job is performed safely.

Ladder Failure and New York Injury Lawyers

construction worker on ladder

If negligence is the cause of a construction worker’s ladder failure injuries, the victim may have grounds to file an injury claim. An experienced New York construction accident lawyer will investigate the construction site, the equipment in question, and the applicable laws and regulations to determine if negligence has occurred. If so, a New York construction accident lawsuit could recover compensation for the victim’s medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

One surprising issue that often comes up is when someone falls off of a ladder but the fall is not from a great height. Many workers assume that they are unable to recover in a lawsuit because of this. Ladder falls bring uncertainty and because of that many falls result in clumsy or dangerous landings, even when only from a few feet above the work surface. A fall from 3 feet or less can nevertheless still lead to unwelcome and life-changing consequences. For example, we have represented injured workers who sustained serious calcaneus fractures requiring surgery as a result of falling from the second or third rung from the bottom of a ladder. Sometimes it is not how high up on a ladder where you fell from; rather it is the circumstances of how you land that is more important.

If you have been injured in a ladder accident, fill out our FREE case evaluation form. Our attorneys have extensive experience investigating construction accident claims, including ladder accidents, and may be able to recover the compensation you need to get back on your feet. Serving Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and all of New York State.

The Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy has extensive experience litigating and recovering compensation for our clients in ladder accident lawsuits.

Our recent ladder injury case results include:

  • $5,900,000 for a bricklayer who fell during a school renovation project when the ladder slid out from under him
  • $5,885,000 settlement for non-union worker who was told to stand on a ladder on top of a scaffold
  • $5,500,000 for an electrician who was not provided with fall protection when he climbed a 28-foot aluminum extension ladder
  • $5,000,000 verdict for an electrician helper who fell 12 feet to the ground when the ladder slipped
  • $4,900,000 for an electrician who fell from a wobbly ladder while working on a school’s HVAC system
  • $4,200,000 for union plasterer who fell from an A-frame ladder when a rung broke free
  • $3,750,000 for a non-union laborer who fell from an unsecure ladder positioned on a second-level roof
  • $3,500,000 for a plumber’s helper who sustained a traumatic brain injury after fall from a 12-foot A-frame ladder
  • $3,250,000 for a plumber who fell from an unsecured ladder and suffered permanent spine injuries that required multiple surgeries
  • $3,100,000 for a worker who was using a drill to install a camera when the ladder started to wobble and he was caused to fall
  • $3,000,000 for a carpenter who struck his head and wrist as a result of a ladder fall during a Midtown East luxury apartment project
  • $2,900,000 for an HVAC worker who fell when the ladder became unstable at a Manhattan hospital
  • $2,750,000 settlement in Nassau County case for worker who fell 13 feet from an extension ladder
  • $2,400,000 for a laborer working on oil, water, and fuel lines at a Queens building when his ladder suddenly slid out from under him
  • $2,200,000 for a plumber’s assistant who fell approximately 7 feet to the ground when his ladder became unsteady
  • $1,900,000 for an HVAC installer who fell from an 8-foot unsecured A-frame ladder, resulting in serious spine and shoulder injuries
  • $1,750,000 for carpenter with severe heel injury who fell from a six-foot-tall ladder, which was known by his employer to be rickety and unstable
  • $1,750,000 for a worker who was told to paint a ceiling beam and fell to the ground from his ladder atop a scaffold
  • $1,725,000 for a welder injured in a ladder fall during a new construction project in the Bronx
  • $1,325,000 for a carpenter who fell from a ladder while attempting to patch a section of a wall with sheet rock
  • $1,250,000 for an electrician struck by machinery while working on a ladder
  • $1,250,000 for a refrigeration apprentice who fell to the sidewalk from an extension ladder
  • $1,175,000 settlement for a HVAC mechanic who fell when the top of his extension ladder began to slide and tip over
  • $1,000,000 for a plumber who fell as a result of an unsecure ladder at a two-story Nassau County building

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