Negligent contractors continue to work on some of the most enormous skyscrapers in New York City. The Department of Buildings (DOB) recently halted work on the 1,550-foot Central Park Tower, also known as Nordstrom Tower, on West 57th Street, according to the Daily News and am New York. But it was too late for a 67-year-old man who was killed in an incredible mishap on the construction site.
On May 26 a large piece of glass was accidentally dropped onto a security guard at the rising Central Park South project, which is to become America’s second-tallest skyscraper and home to a Nordstrom department store. Why do these kinds of fatal mistakes continue to happen at big-ticket construction sites in New York City? The answer may be sad but simple.
The problem is that they DON’T CARE
Each year many workers are killed in preventable ways on New York City construction sites, according to city health department stats. Falls and crushing/being struck (as in the Central Park Tower case) rank, by far, as the most common causes of worker fatality. The numbers illustrate very clearly that most worker deaths could be avoided if builders and contractors kept worker safety as a non-negotiable priority and placed the value of profit below the value of human life.
The real tragedy lies not just in the deaths of these people but in the fact that most of the fatalities were avoidable. Many think the root cause is a palpable lack of concern for worker safety on the part of developers and contractors who cut corners because of greed. Ultimately it is an issue of right and wrong, not a technical or tactical one.
Help is available
New York construction injury victims and their families have rights under the law. If you or a loved one experienced an injury on a job site, it is essential that you speak to an attorney about your legal rights, which could include the right to money damages from negligent parties.
