New York Construction Worker Electrocuted
The worker was fatally injured in a recent workplace accident. The construction worker was working in East Greenbush, approximately150 miles north of Manhattan, when the accident happened. The worker was employed by a paving company and was lowering a light tower at the time the accident happened. According to witnesses, the tower made contact with overhead power lines, setting off a burst of electricity. The victim was engulfed by the ensuing fire before anyone could help.
Electrocution Construction Accidents Happen
Construction accidents happen throughout the State of New York causing serious Injury and deaths. Electrocution is one of the most common types of construction accidents. According to the Center for Construction Research and Training (CCRT). CCRT statistics tell us that as many as 150 workers die every year from electrocution as a result of working in the construction industry, and many more suffer serious injuries as a result of accidents involving electricity.
- Slip and Falls
- Transportation-related deaths
- Electrocution
- Falling objects
- Dangerous or defective equipment and machinery
- Cave-ins
- Exposure to hazardous substances
Injured Workers’ Rights in New York
When a worker is injured on a New York construction site, he or she has the right to file for workers’ compensation.
Under state law, every employer is required to carry workers’ comp insurance for their workers. Workers who are injured on the job, regardless of whether it is their fault, a co-worker’s or the employer’s, can file a claim for these benefits.
Medical benefits: all injured workers are entitled to full payment of all necessary medical expenses incurred as a result of the workplace injury. This includes emergency room expenses, follow-up doctor appointments, medication, rehabilitation and other reasonably related health care costs.
Under New York law, workers are required to inform their employers of their injuries in writing within 30 days of the accident. Workers also are required to file a claim with their local Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) office within two years of the date of the accident or within two years of when they reasonably knew their injury was due to a work-related accident.
Workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy for injured workers against their employers. This means that workers who are involved in work-related accidents or who develop an occupationally-related disease or illness cannot sue their employers for additional damages, even if they do not file a workers’ comp claim.
If you have been involved in a construction accident or sustained another type of on-the-job injury, you have the right under New York law to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits can help replace some of your wages and cover your medical expenses while you recover from your injury.
