In New York City, construction accidents are running at a high mark due to numerous factors. A drop in OSHA inspections, increased safety violations and the soaring volume of construction work in the city are all contributing factors, along with several others. Usually, construction accidents result in injury or death to construction workers, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, the victims are members of the public.
An 8-year-old girl was seriously injured outside an apartment building at 35th Avenue and 83rd Street in the Jackson Heights area of Queens recently when construction workers threw a four-foot by one-foot heavy wooden plank out of a fourth-floor apartment window. The plank hit her in the head and caused severe bleeding and a large gash in her head. The workers allegedly were reckless in ignoring the child’s father who asked them to stop so that he and his family could exit the building onto the sidewalk.
The workers allegedly responded by throwing the plank out of the window. The heavy weight of the wood plank was testified to by witnesses who said that it sounded like a gunshot when making impact. Authorities who responded to the scene reported that the contractor, MNR Group, Inc., did not have a permit and had failed to safeguard the site.
The parents reported that the girl could not go back to school due to the prospect of secondary concussions. In a head injury case involving a concussion or similar trauma, the symptoms can linger for several months and, in some cases, permanent disabilities have been established. The contractor is liable to compensate the victim for the full extent of her injuries, which will have to be closely monitored by her physicians and other medical staff. When someone is seriously injured or killed in a construction accident, the estate of the deceased person or the family of the injured victim is well-advised to protect their rights by obtaining an early consultation with an attorney who is experienced in construction accidents and is familiar with the nuances of the laws and regulations applied in New York City.
Source: pix11.com, “Girl hit in the head by falling plank at unpermitted construction site“, James Ford, Feb. 23, 2018
