Injured New York City construction workers advised to contact an attorney

Working atop buildings, in the vicinity of moving machinery and around heavy building materials are all safety hazards that the men and women who work in the construction industry face on a daily basis. There’s no doubt that the construction industry is inherently dangerous and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, during 2013 alone, 17 workers lost their lives in New York City construction accidents.

With space in short supply and real estate in high demand, at any given moment in New York City there are hundreds of buildings being demolished, renovated and built by skilled construction workers. While federal, state and city safety regulations are in place to prevent construction workers from suffering workplace accidents and injuries, annually, the New York City Department of Buildings reports hundreds of construction-related injuries.

For those workers who are injured due to falls, slips, trips and being struck by an object; recovery can be a painful and slow process. Injured construction workers are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits and, in some cases involving third-party liability, may also be able to recover additional compensation.

Workers’ compensation benefits exist to ensure that injured workers receive compensation to account for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering and disability. Unfortunately, insurance companies are notorious for attempting to deny and shortchange injured workers the compensation to which they are entitled.

In pain and with mounting medical bills, many construction workers who are frustrated with the workers’ compensation process choose to settle their claims for far less than they should. For construction workers who suffer work-related injuries, it’s important to contact an attorney who will fight to recover the maximum allowable amount of workers’ compensation.

Source: FindLaw.com, “Construction Accidents and Workers’ Compensation,” April 9, 2015