Our office is proud to represent workers in many trades who have been injured on the job. Cases that we are handling or have handled involve scaffold accidents, ladders, missing safety railings, missing shaft-way covers, improper shoring at excavation sites and other dangerous conditions. Our clients have suffered injuries ranging from broken bones to death.
Our partner, Marc Reibman, worked in the construction industry before he became a lawyer. Because of his experience, he is familiar with the terminology used by the various trades and he knows what does and does not constitute a safe work site. Marc Reibman's experience is invaluable in investigating accidents and in knowing the key questions to ask witnesses.
Construction work is extremely dangerous. Both the Federal Government and the State of New York have special laws that contain detailed safety standards intended to protect construction workers. Unfortunately, employers often cut corners and ignore safety standards in order to save money. The result is that workers sometimes suffer serious injuries.
Over the last decade or so, the New York State Courts have interpreted the laws that were intended to protect workers in a way that weakens safety protections for workers. For example, the highest court in New York State recently ruled that sheet rock joint tapers who work on stilts are not exposed to significant danger from falling. Anyone with real life experience in the construction industry knows that this ruling is not based in reality.
Over the same period of time, the Federal Government has repeatedly cut the budget of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) so that it can no longer effectively enforce Federal worker safety laws. We urge you to contact your state and federal legislators and tell them how important it is for them to pass laws that protect the safety of construction workers.
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