New York's Long Cold Winter Leads to Increased Construction Site Accidents
The winter of 2010 is turning out to be particularly hazardous to New York City construction workers who regularly work outside or in unheated enclosures. This year's unusually low temperatures, when combined with large snow falls, lingering ice, and frequent downpours of rain, have created a "perfect storm" causing untold numbers of carpenters, iron workers etc. to have accidents on construction sites that would not normally have occurred during a milder winter.
Just yesterday, Turley , Redmond, Rosasco & Rosasco was retained by a worker who stepped off a hi-lo onto ice that should have been cleared, sanded, or salted by the owner of the property where he was working. Our client fell directly on his rear end and suffered a severely fractured coccyx bone (more commonly known as the tail bone and almost impossible to repair surgically). His orthopedic doctor at a university hospital said he had only seen such a severe break of the coccyx bone in professional athletes. He was told he would be out of work for at least six months to see if it will heal on it's own. Otherwise, he will have to consider surgery and Social Security Disability.
The sad part of this story is that this injury was entirely preventable. Our client, along with numerous other employees, had complained to the property owner about the dangerous ice conditions for weeks after the large snow storm earlier this winter. The property owner had piles of salt and sand stacked on the work site, but failed to use it. It was as if the sand and salt were there just for show!
For his immediate money and medical needs, the worker will have to live on New York workers' comp benefits for the foreseeable future. Luckily, since the property owner was not his employer, we will be able to sue for additional economic damages and pain and suffering. However, in order to get the client the maximum potential recovery at trial, it is likely that the client will be waiting for at least a few years. All of this could have been prevented had the property owner simply spread a little sand and salt on the ground! Silly!
In this frigid weather, according to OSHA, there are many things construction workers can do to protect themselves in cold weather. Please remember to dress properly (layers, hats, gloves, Vaseline on your toes before putting on socks), take frequent breaks, and avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol. Despite what others might say, a warm cup of "Joe" or a small nip of brandy will only make you colder. Better to drink a warm sports-type drink.
Finally, there is no better protection than being alert at all times on a construction site. This means getting a good night's rest before working outside the next day in the cold. Experienced New York construction accident lawyers know that extremely cold weather and outside work is often times a recipe for unfortunate accidents. Be careful out there!
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