New York City Building Collapse Accident Lawyers

Aggressive advocates for injured construction accident victims

Building collapses sometimes occur while a structure is being built, due to faulty design or another contributing factor. In other cases, an existing structure collapses, which compromises the safety and stability of an adjacent building. When someone suffers an injury in a building collapse accident, several parties may be held liable. Leading construction accident attorneys at New York City’s Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman P.C. advocate on behalf of injured victims, successfully recovering maximum compensation from those responsible for the building collapse.

Building collapse accidents

A building collapse is considered one of the more perilous types of construction accidents. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, a building collapse occurs when the building’s internal load bearing structural elements fail . This causes the building to collapse into itself, pulling the exterior walls into the falling structure. Building collapse can be the result of construction activity, fire, an earthquake, severe weather, or an explosion.

When you have suffered a building collapse accident, your injuries may be severe. Collapsing structures put many people at risk, including anyone working inside the structure, those working on scaffolding, building inhabitants, and anyone passing by who may be injured from falling debris .

New York labor laws

New York State has labor laws that were developed to protect workers from becoming injured on the job, and include the following provisions :

• New York Labor Law Section 200: provides that owners and contractors are required to maintain a safe workplace and adopt measures to protect workers
• New York Labor Law Section 240: also known as the “scaffold law”, provides protection for workers if they have been struck by a falling object and suffered injury or if they have sustained injury in a high fall
• New York Labor Law Section 241: provides that specific safety precautions must be carried out at the workplace and certain safety equipment must be available at a work site to ensure the safety of workers

OSHA safety standards

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) establishes guidelines to ensure worker safety, including those for entering a collapsed structure . According to OSHA, in the event of a building collapse, an Incident Command System will be established for management of the site. This may include appointment of a safety officer, who is responsible for overseeing the safety and health of all responders, assuring the practice of optimal safety and injury prevention, investigating and documenting all response team injuries and illnesses, and other duties.

Negligence and personal injury law

Personal injury law revolves around the issue of negligence. Designed to protect those who have suffered injury due to another person or entity’s reckless behavior, personal injury law requires that the accident was the result of legal negligence. New York state has labor laws to protect workers from sustaining injury on the job, and OSHA publishes specific safety guidelines that are considered the industry standard. When there is a violation of the labor laws or a failure to adhere to established safety guidelines, this may be considered legal negligence and, as such, serve as the basis for a personal injury claim.

How much time do I have to file a personal injury claim?

Each state has its own legal timeframes for filing civil claims in the court system, known as the statute of limitations. In the state of New York, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years from the time the accident took place. If you or a loved one is considering filing a personal injury claim, it is critical that you heed this deadline. If you fail to file your claim before the three years run out, your case will not be heard in the courts nor will you receive any compensation for the injuries you sustained.

Our New York construction accident attorneys get results

At Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman P.C., our NYC construction accident attorneys believe that when a workplace accident is the result of another entity’s negligence, the responsible party should be held accountable. To that end, our skilled team aggressively fights on your behalf, with a track record of success. Our personal injury lawyers have secured several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients who have sustained injury, including the following:

$20 million verdict

Our attorneys obtained a $20 million verdict for our client, a construction worker, who sustained severe injuries while working in an excavation trench in the Bronx. Inadequate shoring caused the hole to collapse on top of him and the power saw he was using at the time caused serious lacerations to his body and injury to his neck, back, and shoulders. Our construction accident attorneys proved to a jury that the employer was legally responsible for the injuries. The jury awarded our client $20 million for his medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

$8 million verdict

Attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman P.C. proved to a jury that our client’s lumbar disc herniation and subsequent surgeries were attributed to a workplace accident he sustained three years earlier, when he fell off defective scaffolding. The jury awarded our client more than $6 million and –when legal interest is added – the total amount recovered by our firm will be over $8 million.

$4.5 million settlement

Our client, a construction worker, fell 15 feet when a ladder slipped out during construction work. He sustained injuries to both heels and required surgery to both legs. Our skilled personal injury attorneys obtained a $4.5 million settlement.

Recover the compensation you deserve

Experiencing a building collapse accident is a traumatic experience that may result in physical injury, pain and suffering, and lost income from time away from work. Recover the compensation you deserve for your injuries – contact the premier New York construction accident attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman P.C. in New York City. Our skilled team has a long and impressive track record of success obtaining several multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients. Contact our office at 917-893-3514 or 917-268-6710 or contact us online to arrange a confidential consultation. We have 2 offices to serve you – All our attorneys work on a contingency basis, so you do not pay anything until we win your case. 40 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038 (Main) and our Brooklyn Office at 823 56th St. 6th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11220.