Syracuse Injury Lawyer Blog

A construction worker was injured on Friday in Plattsburgh, New York, when debris from the roof of the shopping center in which he was working fell on him. The worker was trapped by the debris until he was freed by rescue personnel. He was transported to CVPH Medical Center for medical treatment.

Construction workers, like this project supervisor, are protected by New York Labor Law sections 200, 240 and 241(6), which hold property owners and general contractors responsible for serious personal injuries that occur on construction sites.

To speak with an experienced New York construction accident lawyer, contact us at 800-336-5297 or by email at info@bottarleone.com.

According to Syracuse ladder accident attorney Michael A. Bottar, Esq., of Bottar Leone, PLLC, "hundreds of ladder accidents happen every year despite OSHA regulations that require companies to make ladders safe for construction workers to use." Some of those regulations are discussed in our recent release titled Syracuse Ladder Accident Lawyers Discuss New York Construction Site Fall and OSHA Injury Statistics.

A shocking 127 people died in 2009 due to falling of a ladder. That number rose to 129 in 2010. Fortunately, a ladder accident that occurred yesterday on Old Liverpool Road in the Town of Salina, did not result in a fatality.

Even so, worker Richard Coe was badly injured. Syracuse.com reports that Coe, 49, fell approximately twenty-five (25) feet to the ground when the aluminum ladder he was working from tipped over. Coe, who was employed by Landmark Constracting & Development Co., sustained a traumatic head injury and back injury. OSHA and Syracuse construction accident lawyers will be investigating the accident.

"New York State Labor Law section 240 may apply to this accident. While a worker cannot file a claim against his/her employer, the Labor Law gives construction workers special rights to recover from property owners and general contractors," Bottar said.

A Syracuse man died yesterday after falling into a hydro-turbine. On Monday, July 8, 2011, Wave Hydroelectric, LLC co-owner Jon C. Stranburg fell off of a walkway and into the turbine water tank below. Because the turbine was running, Stranburg was pulled below the surface of the water. According to Syracuse.com, the turbine's braking system malfunctioned.

In the State of New York, a worker cannot sue his or her employer for lost wages or pain and suffering unless he or she suffers a "grave injury." According to section 11 of the Workers Compensation law, a "grave injury" is defined as a "death, permanent and total loss of use or amputation of an arm, leg, hand or foot, loss of multiple fingers, loss of multiple toes, paraplegia or quadriplegia, total and permanent blindness, total and permanent deafness, loss of nose, loss of ear, permanent and severe facial disfigurement, loss of an index finger or an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force resulting in permanent total disability."

By definition, the tank Stranburg fell into is a "confined space." A confined space is an area that limits the way a worker can enter or exit the space. Confined spaces are not intended for continuous occupancy.

Confined spaces are very dangerous. "According to a recent study, almost every attempt to rescue someone trapped in a confined space led to the death of the rescuer," said Syracuse construction accident lawyer Michael A. Bottar.

"The third New York tour bus accident in sixteen days just occurred on Route 81, in Whitney Point," said Michael A. Bottar, Esq., a Syracuse bus accident lawyer. Whitney Point is located in Broome County, roughly 50 miles south of Syracuse and 20 miles north of Binghamton. The bus was carrying 28 passengers, many of whom were injured when the bus left the roadway and flipped onto its roof. The injured were transported to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City and Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton.

We reported on the July 18, 2011 accident in a blog post titled New York Tour Bus Crash Lawyer Reviews Steuben Tour Bus Accident. That accident appears to have been caused by a tire blow-out. We reported on the July 22, 2011 accident in a blog post titled Waterloo Bus Crash Lawyer's Analysis of Tractor Trailer Accident With Tour Bus On New York State Thruway. A mechanical problem or a failure to yield appears to have caused that accident. The cause of the third accident, which occurred only three hours ago, remains under investigation.

"The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration may want to take a look at what is happening in central and upstate New York," Bottar said. "In the past year, more than 100 people have been injured in central New York bus accidents."