Three New York City construction workers were killed on the job within days of each other. In one of the tragedies, a worker was found unconscious on a scaffold at an Upper East Side building, the victim of head trauma after an object fell and struck him.
The worker, 51-year-old Nelson Salinas, was hit on the head by a loose copestone while working at 311 East 50th Street, according to a recent Gothamist story. Mr. Salinas, who lived in Queens, was performing facade repairs, NBC New York reported.
“No building is worth a life”
While developers continue to enjoy a highly profitable construction boom, New York workers continue to experience serious accidents, some of them fatal. Many preventable injuries and deaths are the result of a callous disregard for worker safety.
“No building is worth a life,” Buildings Department spokesperson Andrew Rudansky was quoted as saying by U.S. News, pledging industry accountability following the horrific spate of NYC construction deaths this week. “Every worker who leaves for the job site in the morning deserves to come home safely at night.” While we can all agree with that sentiment, it’s difficult for some to believe things will change.
What should I do if it happens to me or my family?
A construction accident can be a nightmare for everyone involved. Be sure to talk to a professional — an experienced attorney — about the incident as soon as possible. You may be able to bring a third-party claim (a lawsuit) against those who were negligent, whether that’s a contractor, building owner or someone else. But you won’t know how to proceed unless you get the advice you need.
