A recent news release by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor, describes a raft of workplace safety violations by Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC, which operate at least 18,000 Dollar General locations throughout the country. According to OSHA, its inspectors identified safety violations at four stores […]
Slip And Falls
NYC Commits to Subway Accessibility Upgrades by 2055
Last month New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an agreement to improve accessibility in 95% of subway stations in New York City that currently lack elevators or ramps. According to a press release by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agreement is part of a class-action settlement between the MTA and accessibility advocates. While it is […]
Unpacking the Eight Largest OSHA Fines So Far This Year
A recent report by Construction Dive unpacks the biggest fines issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration during the first quarter of 2022. The contractors who received these fines include DME Construction Associates, Boss Construction, Lanigan Construction, and Groundworks Colorado. The smallest of the eight largest OSHA fines identified by the report was a fine of […]
Study Shows Declining “Hire to Injury” Lag in Workplaces
A new ten-year study by Selective Insurance, “Workplace Injury Trends,” reveals recent declines in the average “hire to injury lag,” or the amount of time between an employee’s hiring and their reporting of a workplace-related injury. The study found that “employees are reporting a workplace-related injury 18% earlier in their tenure compared to 10 years […]
New Report Examines Construction Industry Injury Trends
“Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States,” begins a new report by The Center for Construction Research and Training. Titled “Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries in the Construction Industry,” the report offers “updated information” on those injuries, based on data gathered from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal […]
NYC Issues Almost 1,500 Stop Work Orders in Construction Safety Sweep
A New York City Department of Buildings safety sweep this month resulted in 3,600 violations and 1,499 stop work orders issued to construction contractors. According to a report by Construction Dive, the sweeps were launched because of a spate of construction site fatalities in the city, with seven workers dying in the first five months of 2021—two […]
NYC Construction Safety Report Details Job Site Fatalities
The New York City Department of Buildings recently released its Construction Safety Report for 2019-2020. The document notes that although construction incidents that involved injuries and fatalities decreased by 24% in 2019—”the first drop in nearly a decade”—there were nonetheless twelve deaths in construction-related incidents that year. “Even one death caused by unsafe work practices on a […]
NYC Construction Deaths Yield No-Tolerance Sweeps
New York City building inspectors are implementing “zero-tolerance sweeps” in the city’s job sites, according to a recent report by Construction Dive. The sweeps are in response to “three worker deaths in recent weeks, two of which were the result of falls,” according to the report, and have resulted in 322 sites shut down due to hazardous conditions. The […]
Manhattan Residents Demand Action Over Unsafe Sidewalk Conditions
A recent survey Manhattan Community Board 4 revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the sidewalks in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea neighborhoods, according to a recent report by StreetsBlog. The Community Board surveyed a total of 960 responds, 10% listed as having disabilities, and received 4,909 comments. The average age of the respondents was 52 years old, and 80% of respondents […]
AFL-CIO Report Examines Sorry State of Workplace Safety
The labor union AFL-CIO recently released its 29th annual “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” report. Among other things, the study examines state and national trends in workplace deaths, injuries, and illnesses; safety inspections; penalties and other sanctions issued against workplaces under the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and staffing issues. It also includes information […]
Construction Workers At Higher Risk of COVID-19, Study Finds
A new study published online in JAMA Network Open finds that construction workers may be at high risk of Covid-19 infection. Conducted by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the Santa Fe Institute, the study asked whether construction work is associated with increased community transmission of Covid-19 as well as disproportionate fatalities in US construction workers. […]
Construction Site Safety Practices Evolve During Covid-19 Pandemic
How can construction sites maximize safety during the Covid-19 pandemic? A new column in the Philadelphia Business Journal offers lessons and best-practices from Philadelphia-area job ites. According to the column, that city’s chapter of the General Building Contractors Association started putting together safety protocols early in the pandemic, and took input from other industry stakeholders like the […]
Researchers Hope to Make Ladders Safer for Construction Workers
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data show that 81% of construction worker injuries that result in emergency room visits involve a ladder, according to a recent report by Construction Dive. As falls are a leading cause of construction site injuries in the United States, experts are interested in studying how to make them safer. That’s why the National Institute of Occupational […]
OSHA Issues Hefty Construction Violation Citations in Q2 2020
A July 27 report by Construction Dive detailed some of the heftiest citations levied against construction job sites in Q2 2020 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which inspects workplaces for safety compliance and takes enforcement action against violators. OSHA’s Q2 citations include actions for fall safety, the improper use of hydraulic excavators, and a fall resulting in death. They […]
Hundreds of New York City Construction Sites Shuttered for Safety Violations
Amid a long-running construction boom in New York, the Department of Buildings (DOB) sent a message to construction companies and contractors by cracking down on habitual offenders with a round of “surprise inspections.” The DOB’s new commissioner took action against the construction industry during his first few days on the job. “Every worker should be […]
Government Report Shows Illegal Construction Rampant in New York
A new government report on the construction industry shows serious defects in compliance across the state. Released by Senator James Skoufits, he says the report shows that, “Firefighters are going to die. Tenants are going to die if the state and local officials do not start prioritizing code enforcement.” According to the Senator’s ‘bombshell’ report, the problems […]
City Revokes Contractors License After Construction Worker’s Death
The Department of Buildings (DOB) is suing to revoke the license of a contractor allegedly responsible for the death of a construction worker earlier this year in Turtle Bay. According to The New York Daily News, Nelson Salinas was working on scaffolding halfway up a 14-story residential building when a coping stone was knocked loose by rigging used […]
Who is at Fault in a Slip and Fall Accident?
Slip and fall accidents are an unfortunate, common occurrence and can sometimes lead to serious injuries. While determining who is at fault in a slip and fall accident can depend on several different factors and circumstances, there are a few guideposts to help you determine who may be responsible for your damages. In short, whoever behaved “unreasonably” will […]
Brooklyn’s Barclay Center Sued for Dangerous Seating Area
Brooklyn’s Barclay Center has seen at least four lawsuits concerning the seats in Brooklyn’s most famous sports arena. The seats in the so-called “nosebleed” section are usually the cheapest, and now, according to lawsuits, also the most dangerous. Apparently, the steps are so steep that people are prone to miss a step and come crashing into […]
For Physically Disabled, New York City Sidewalks Create a Nightmare
Despite its reputation for progressive politics, New York City is failing its residents with physical disabilities. While the subway has long created a nightmare of obstacles for New Yorkers with special needs, sidewalks are also becoming an increasing problem for the city. Disability advocates point to two main problems with the city’s sidewalks. First, there are […]
Habit Evidence of Defendant’s Actions Post-Accident Held Inadmissible in Slip & Fall on Ice Case
The following post discusses a recent decision by the New York State Appellate Division, Second Department, regarding the admissibility of “habit” evidence during a personal injury trial. In many instances, people think of personal injury law as straightforward or “cut and dry.” What could be complex about someone slipping and falling? This case is an example as […]
Plaintiff Loses Slip-And-Fall Claim By Failing to Submit Evidence regarding How She fell
In Giannotti v. Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, plaintiff was a patron who brought an action against Hudson Valley Credit Union, seeking damages for personal injuries she sustained in a trip-and-fall accident in the credit union’s lobby. On April 16, 2013, the plaintiff walked with a Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union employee towards an office presumably to discuss […]
Defendant Fails to Submit Evidence of Last Inspection of Slate; Case Proceeds
The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department in Bergin v Golshani, 2015 NY Slip Op 06103 [130 AD3d 767], denied a defendant’s motion for summary judgment to dismiss a cause of action alleging negligence. In the slip-and-fall case, the plaintiff sought to recover damages for personal injury for defendant’s failure to inspect the area where plaintiff was injured. […]
Slip & Fall Victim’s Case Will Proceed; Defendant Sanctioned For Failing to Provide Maintenance Documents
The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department in Schiano v Mijul, Inc., 2015 NY Slip Op 06910 [131 AD3d 1157], affirmed a trial court order for the imposition of sanctions for the failure to produce necessary documents in an action to recover damages for personal injuries. The plaintiff was injured when he slipped and fell while walking […]
Verdict for Injured Person Upheld in Slip & Fall on Ice Case
The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department upheld a jury verdict that found the City of Dunkirk Housing Authority liable for a slip & fall accident that occurred one icy winter day. The City of Dunkirk Housing Authority owns a residential facility that is open 24 hours a day. Residents leave and return to […]
