Work performed on ladders at construction sites is regulated by state laws in New York and New Jersey. Everything – including the quality of the safety guards on the ladder, height, placement of the ladder and all other safety measures – is regulated to protect the worker. General contractors and subcontractors, site developers, property owners, and even insurance companies may be held liable for the injuries of a worker injured after falling off a ladder.
The New York and New Jersey construction injury lawyers at The Cakani Law Firm can help you get the compensation you deserve after a ladder accident. Our law firm works with a team of construction site experts, building engineers, and site investigators to discover the cause of the worker’s injury was and to determine whether other legal actions may exist. If you, or a loved one, were hurt in a fall from a ladder, we will fight to get you the money you deserve.
NY & NJ Ladder Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries
There are many possible causes for a fall from a ladder at a New York or New Jersey construction site, and most of them involve some sort of safety rule violation or design defect. Many falls result from a ladder that is not positioned correctly, which can cause it to slip and lead to a fall. Some ladders might have loose rungs or broken parts, and some ladders are not strong enough to support a worker’s weight. OSHA has design standards for ladders, but the ladders at some New York and New Jersey job-sites do not meet those standards and are not safe.
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), about three dozen fatalities and roughly 25,000 injuries result from accidents on ladders at construction sites across the country per year. These falls can cause a wide range of injuries, including broken bones, spinal cord and back injuries, paralysis (including quadriplegia and paraplegia), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), deep cuts, internal bleeding, knee, ankle and foot injuries, and even death.
Falls, including ones from ladders, were among the top five most costly job-site accidents in 2009, according to the 2011 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. Medical bills alone can be more than $100,000 for more severe fall injuries, and the costs are even higher when you add in rehabilitation, lost wages, and other expenses.
While workers’ compensation might be available for many injured workers, it is often not enough to cover all of the losses sustained in a serious ladder fall. The construction accident lawyers at The Cakani Law Firm know how to pursue compensation from every available source. That could include a claim against responsible third parties such as the site developer, property owner, general contractor, or subcontractor. If the ladder itself was defective, the company that made it could be liable for damages in a products liability lawsuit.
