Long Island Teen Killed, Coworker Injured After Falling Three Stories from Makeshift Scaffolding

On Monday, July 1st, two employees of the AMSJ Construction Corporation fell from a makeshift scaffolding three floors high on one of their construction sites in Long Island. One of the workers was 17 years old and died from his injuries at the hospital. The other worker sustained injuries but is expected to recover. The two were transported to South Nassau Hospital for treatment.

The contractors used planks on top of wood beams to construct the scaffold, which New York scaffolding law prohibits. These statutes also impose liability for elevation-related injuries of workers or contractors, especially in certain situations in which proper equipment is not supplied. As a result, AMSJ Construction Corporation has been cited.

Construction site injuries are common and can result in a multitude of possible injuries, including head trauma, neck and back injuries, broken bones, joint injuries, limb loss, and in some cases even death. Particularly when dealing with scaffolding, workers need various types of equipment to ensure their safety, such as ladders, railings, stanchions, and harnesses. As such, an employer can ultimately be held liable for scaffolding-related accidents if they do not provide adequate equipment for the job at hand.

In the tragic event of a scaffolding accident, compensation and recoverable damages could be available for the victim. Depending on the specific circumstances, a scaffolding accident victim could be awarded compensation to cover both short-term and long-term medical costs, as well as lost wages, pain and suffering, or even wrongful death. Furthermore, workers’ compensation can cover some of those damages, as there are many labor laws in place in New York that protect the safety of workers.

If you or a loved one were involved in a construction-related accident or work-related mishap, you should consider calling an experienced Long Island attorney. Dealing with injuries on top of litigation can be exhausting, but the compassionate lawyers at Goldstein & Bashner could fight on your behalf to get the compensation you and your family deserve.