How Scaffolding Accident Attorneys Can Help New York City Residents

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Scaffolding can be an essential element on a New York city construction site. Buildings are often constructed several floors up and the scaffolding is necessary for contractors, like plumbers and electricians, to complete their portion of the work.

The work is dangerous and when scaffolding injuries occur, they can be disastrous or fatal. It is often necessary to partner with scaffolding accident attorneys to hold employers and property owners responsible for their part in the accident.

Fortunately, New York City has a Scaffolding Law to help protect employees and contractors who perform this type of work.

NYC Scaffolding Accident Law

The New York City Scaffolding Accident Law is over a century old, but it remains in effect for the welfare of many. This is the law which allows scaffolding accident attorneys to help victims seek compensation after a serious gravity related fall at work. 

This law states that scaffolding which is 20 feet above the ground or higher must have a 34 inch high safety railing which encloses the non-working part of the scaffolding in its entirety. The safety railing must not move, or sway, and the scaffolding must be able to hold quadruple the maximum weight advertised. 

If a worker suffers a fall from scaffolding which results in a serious injury or disability because one of these conditions were not met, then scaffolding accident attorneys can usually help. Property owners and employers can be held responsible for serious scaffolding accidents under the NYC Scaffolding Law.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also has strict laws regarding scaffolding in place to protect workers. They require scaffolding equipment to be properly constructed and maintained along with adequate safety features. OSHA also requires employers to provide workers with the proper safety and fall protection equipment when working on scaffolding. 

If these conditions are not met in their entirety and serious fall accidents or disability occurs, the scaffolding accident attorneys can help victims hold employers responsible. Victims may be able to recover compensation to pay for medical costs, court costs, and more. 

NYC Scaffolding Accidents

New York City scaffolding accidents tend to be serious because of the height involved. Victims can often be left disfigured, disabled, or scarred for life and worker’s compensation benefits usually are not enough to cover the damages after a serious scaffolding accident. The NYC Scaffolding Law provides workers an avenue to seek further adequate compensation from the responsible parties, in addition to worker’s compensation. With the help of scaffolding accident attorneys, all negligent parties can be held responsible. 

Scaffolding Accident Attorneys Make Work Safer

Scaffolding accident attorneys in New York City fight aggressively for victims’ rights and for the additional compensation they need to achieve quality of life after a serious scaffolding accident. This encourages property owners and employers to provide and maintain a safe environment for other workers. When they know they can’t get away with cutting corners to save a buck because of scaffolding accident attorneys, then other workers are less likely to suffer an injury on unsafe scaffolding at the jobsite.