We blog regularly about construction workers getting hurt on the job because of dangerous work conditions. Sometimes innocent bystanders are injured by construction negligence, too.
In a bizarre recent case, an Upper East Side man was struck by falling construction debris in his own bathroom. On Wednesday, January 9, the man was injured while taking a shower in his apartment on East 63rd Street, according to a New York Post story.
A freak accident
As reported by the Post, a city Department of Buildings (DOB) spokesman stated that the debris fell from a nearby building, which was under construction, broke into the victim’s top-floor apartment and hit him. Thankfully, the man’s injuries were not thought to be serious, according to the story.
Wind was blamed as a possible factor in the mishap, but 21st Century builders and contractors should know how to prepare for all sorts of weather. They are responsible for keeping workers and community members safe on and near their construction sites.
Why do these accidents continue to happen?
Construction workers, pedestrians and other people are hurt and sometimes killed because basic safety rules are ignored or compromised by those in charge of work sites. As several recent cases have illustrated, responsible parties can even be held criminally liable for such injuries.
Most importantly for the victims, it is civil liability that can bring significant money damages for the injured and their families. Get your questions answered by a professional if you think you might have an injury case.
