Five contract workers for the New York State Department of Transportation fell into the water below the Smiths Basin Bridge on Route 149 in Kingsbury shortly after 11:30 a.m. on Friday. According to a report by Time Warner Cable News, it is believed that a cable broke causing the workers to plunge into Kingsbury Canal. The body of the deceased worker, 41-year old Rahssan Smith of Albany, was recovered from the water more than an hour later. The workers were employed by the bridge-painting and sandblasting company, P.S. Bruckel out of Avon, New York.
The nature of the construction industry gives workers a wide range of reasons to be at great heights, and depending upon the circumstances unique in each case, injured workers could be entitled to more than workers’ compensation after a fall. Contractors are required to provide a safe working environment, which includes proper safety precautions. In many situations, New York Labor Law Section 240 gives injured workers compensation after a fall in which the contractor or the owner were not directly or actively at fault.
An injury resulting from a fall at a construction site can bring devastating consequences, putting construction workers and their families in vulnerable positions. At the law office of Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool, L.L.P., we assist injured workers and their families after a serious workplace accident. If you were injured or lost a loved one because of a fall, call our firm to schedule a free consultation with our New York personal injury lawyers. Call (212) 406-1700 or contact us online.
