Syracuse Injury Lawyer Blog

Syracuse work injury lawyer Anthony S. Bottar, Esq., was consulted on Friday by the Binghamton Sun in connection with the June 3 Binghamton New York scaffolding collapse.

News reports indicate that a subcontractor hired by Apple Roofing erected the scaffolding on Binghamton University property. That scaffolding failed and several workers were injured. According to Mr. Bottar, whose practice is limited to representation of those catastrophically injured due to construction accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, defective products, and dangerous structures/roadways, "[t]he owner and the general contractor are the ones responsible when a scaffold fails and it leads to injury."

NOTE: Because the property is owned by the State of New York, either individually or by and through the Dormitory Authority, there is very little time for the injured workers to act. More specifically, they have only 90 days (from the collapse) to file a document called a Notice of Intention to Claim.

According to Syracuse construction site accident lawyer Michael A. Bottar, Esq., New York State Labor Law section 240 should apply to this case. "The Labor Laws were designed to protect workers by shifting the burden of safety from the worker to those in a better position to ensure safety, such as those with better information about project safety, like the property owner and general contractor(s)."

Attorneys Anthony S. Bottar and Michael A. Bottar can be reached at 1-800-336-5297, or by email at info@bottarleone.com.

A scaffolding erected in Binghamton on June 2, 2010 collapsed yesterday, the first day it was put into use. The scaffolding, which was built alongside a dormitory as part of a multi-million dollar construction project underway at Binghamton University, was intended to be used to elevate construction workers assigned to the project.

According to the Syracuse work injury lawyers at Bottar Leone, PLLC, on June 3, 2010, six Syracuse-based Apple Roofing employees were on the scaffolding platform when it failed. Each of the men fell more than five stories to the ground, suffering severe personal injuries. One worker is in critical condition. OSHA, the organization responsible for investigating work injuries, such as New York construction workers injured in a fall, is reviewing the cause of the Binghamton construction accident.

While it is too early to tell who is responsible for the Binghamton scaffolding collapse, if anyone, there are several entities who could be responsible. By operation of the New York State Labor Laws, specifically section 240, all contractors, property owners, and their agents who are engaged in erection, demolition, repair, alteration, painting, cleaning or pointing of a building or structure may be liable for injuries where a construction worker falls from a height due to the lack of proper scaffolding, hoists, stays, ladders, slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, braces, irons, ropes and other safety devices.

Our Syracuse workplace accident lawyers, handling Binghamton construction site falls, have decades of experience handling complex work injury claims around the State of New York including, for example, a construction worker injured in the infamous Marcy Bridge collapse (global settlement of $15,650,000.00), a construction worker crushed in a delivery accident ($3,000,000.00), a construction worker injured from a fall inside the Syracuse War Memorial ($2,100,000 jury verdict), and a construction worker injured when an Adirondack mine utility pole collapsed ($1,700,000.00).

Construction site accident cases can be complicated, expensive to prove, and take time. Who you hire to represent you is critical. When you select a lawyer, make sure s/he is properly qualified, with a history of results. To contact the Bottar Leone, PLLC, legal team call 1-800-336-5297, or email us at info@bottarleone.com.

Earlier today, a scaffolding collapsed in Binghamton. Several Syracuse roofers were injured.

Pursuant to the New York State Labor Laws, namely section 240(2), all "scaffolding" or "staging" more than twenty feet above the ground must be equipped with a safety rail or suitable material properly attached, bolted, braced, or otherwise secured, rising at least thirty-four inches above the floor or main portions of the scaffolding or staging. The safety rail must extend the entire length of the scaffolding, with no openings in the platform any larger than necessary for the delivery of materials. All scaffolding must be constructed to hold four times the maximum weight placed upon the scaffolding when it is in use.

While it is too early to determine why the Binghamton scaffolding collapse occurred, there are several potentially liable entities, including the property owner and contractors working on the jobsite. An OSHA investigation is underway.

The Bottar Leone, PLLC legal team has decades of experience investigating, prosecuting and resolving complex construction site accident cases. To discuss you potential case, contact us today at 1-800-336-5297 or by email at info@bottarleone.com.