Those employed in the construction industry risk injury or death every day they go to work. Construction accidents simply happen far too often. The good news is that, at least in New York City, construction accidents are on the decline.
According to a recently released article, between July 2019 and June 2020, there was a 19% decrease in construction-related accidents. In that time, a total of 543 injuries were reported, as well as eight deaths. The previous year, the city management report showed a total of 646 injuries and 11 deaths. The shutdown of nonessential services earlier this year is believed to have contributed to the reduction in accidents.
Shutdown or not, these numbers are definitely trending in the right direction. Only time will tell if they will stay down or go back up as life slowly returns to normal. Hopefully, with training and better safety precautions, the remainder of the year will see few, if any, construction workers suffer injuries on the job, or worse.
When construction accidents occur, victims, should they survive, often end up enduring physical, emotional and financial losses that can be challenging to recover from. If they fail to survive, it is their family members who may find themselves struggling for years down the line. Workers’ compensation benefits exist to help individuals and families in New York whose lives have been upended due to workplace accidents. Unfortunately, achieving maximum relief can prove a difficult task. With the assistance of legal counsel injured workers or – in the event of fatality – their loved ones can fight for fair compensation.
