Just when we thought things couldn’t get more dangerous for New York construction workers, they did. In a comparison of January-to-July construction accident stats for 2017 and 2018, published by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB), we see that 2017 was a bad year — but that 2018 was even worse. When it comes to danger, the numbers illustrate what many workers feel.
We think it’s important to know how many workers have been affected by accidents in the city, but also to know where and how the accidents occurred. In its report concerning construction related injuries and fatalities as of July 31, 2018, the DOB has given us the following information about workers who have been hurt and killed on the job this year and last year.
At a glance: January-July 2018 versus January-July 2017
- During the same period of both years, construction accidents in Manhattan outnumbered accidents in all other boroughs combined. But, notably, the number of accidents in Brooklyn jumped from 67 in 2017 to 107 in 2018.
- From 2017 to 2018, the fatality number DOUBLED from 4 to 8 during the same period.
- For the same part of each year, the number of injuries jumped from 401 in 2017 to 469 in 2018.
- For the same part of each year, the number of accidents increased from 386 in 2017 to 457 in 2018.
- During ALL of 2017, 75% of worker deaths (9 of 12 total) were placed in the “Worker Fell” category, and there were only three accident types that caused death. Interestingly, only 25% of 2018 fatalities (thus far) were caused by falls, and there were already five types of fatal accidents. This statistic could suggest that overall worker safety has suffered.
Get the legal advice you need
Numbers never tell the whole story. If your family has experienced a construction injury, you may be dealing with a variety of physical, emotional and financial difficulties that are hard to quantify.
Getting detailed, timely legal advice can make a huge difference. Importantly, you and your family may be entitled to money damages through a third-party-claim (a lawsuit) against negligent parties.
