One in every five work related deaths occurred on a construction site in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the 5,071 people killed on the job, 969 work injuries claimed the lives of construction workers.

Thousands more are seriously injured in construction accidents each year.

At Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool, our New York construction accident lawyers and personal injury and wrongful death attorneys have a long history of handling complex legal and medical cases against the construction industry, resulting in numerous multi-million dollar verdicts.

In New York City, 81 people were killed as a result of fatal work in 2007 – where one in four deaths occurred in the construction industry.

Accidents at New York construction sites claimed 24 lives in 2007, including 15 construction workers. The remaining deaths included civilians, bystanders, and others who were killed by falling debris, construction vehicles and in other construction-related fatalities.

While New York law does not permit an injured worker to sue his or her employer, injured workers can sue for damages if the injury was caused by someone else’s failure to use reasonable care, including the owner of the site, the safety inspector or any other third party. Such third-party negligence claims can result in damage awards above and beyond what is available through New York workers’ compensation claims.

And civilians or passers-by who are injured by a construction site, as in the case of falling debris or an accident involving heavy equipment, such as cranes, dump trucks and excavation equipment, can sue for damages as a result of their injuries.

New York has specific safety laws in place to protect construction workers and the public. Injuries at construction sites often happen because the rules were not followed or unsafe conditions are allowed to persist.

Construction injuries involve complex legal issues, multiple parties, state and federal regulations and large corporations with lawyers working to defend them from liability resulting from a construction accident.

Serious medical issues often result from New York construction injuries to workers and pedestrians, including burns, serious trauma, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, crushed limb and amputation injuries and traumatic brain injuries.

If you or someone you love has been injured on or near a construction site, the New York construction injury attorneys and personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights.

Call the New York law office of Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool at 212-406-1700.