Three men have received a total of $3.85 million between 3 different construction accident lawsuits. The men, all undocumented workers in New York, were injured while working in unsafe conditions to varying degrees of severity. One of the men fractured his hip along with several other injuries when three large metal trusses collapsed on him. Another was scalded when a pipe burst while he was working on a Wall Street construction site. The final man had his foot and lower body crushed when a steal beam fell on him.
According the attorney for the three men, Brian O'Dwyer, "all three cases involve construction and terribly unsafe working conditions." And indeed, this case is no exception to the experience of many undocumented workers; a large majority of undocumented workers are often forced to work in unsafe situations or risk losing their job. This alarming trend seems to be growing across the United States as construction jobs become harder to find amid the nationwide economic crisis. Of course, unsafe working conditions will invariably lead to more construction accidents, a sad and frightening fact for many of those involved in the construction field.
Executive director Joel Magallan of Asociacion Tepeyac, an immigrant advocacy group, said that while construction work is often dangerous, undocumented workers are likely to work at sites that lack proper safety equipment, OSHA regulation compliance, and required warning signs. According to several studies, both by local nonprofit agencies as well as national researchers, abuses of workers on construction sites are widespread. Among those whom had suffered either seriously debilitating or fatal injuries due to unsafe working conditions an especially high number of immigrant workers were represented.
However, there may be a positive side to the tradgedy that takes place so often on dangerous construction sites. The opportunity for workers who have been injured on construction sites to receive just compensation grows larger with the victories of these three undocumented workers. The three men were awarded a total of $3.85 million in damages between them, money they say will now be used to support their families, pay for costly medical expenses, or pursue their dreams.
Construction site accidents remain one of the most dangerous professional accidents, despite improvements in safety in virtually every field,. These injuries could be seriously debilitating or potentially fatal. Oftentimes, workman's compensation insurance may not provide enough to cover medical expenses, living expenses, and outstanding debt that might have accrued during the recovery time. To that end, it is paramount that workers who have been injured in a construction site accident seek compensation through the proper channels, such as contacting a construction accident lawyer when they have settled on legal recourse.
------
LegalView.info, an online leader in providing the most experienced and highest quality legal services, provides access to a construction accident information portal where individuals can find a wealth of resources. The site features information on finding a
construction accident lawyer, an article database, and a simple contact form that matches each user to a specialized
construction accident law firm that best suits their needs.
