Every year, about 50,000 workers are injured by falling objects. These accidents account for 5% of all workplace injuries. More than 200 workers are even killed after they are struck by a falling object. If you or a loved one has been injured at work by a falling object, you deserve fair compensation for your lost wages, medical care, and more.
Goidel & Siegel Injury Lawyers has represented injured workers in falling object accident cases for more than 30 years. We will fight for your rights and the full compensation you and your family are counting on.
An object that is dropped from only 64 feet can hit the ground in just two seconds reaching a speed of almost 44 mph. Even a pen can penetrate a hardhat if it is dropped from 230 or more feet! It does not take much for a falling object to cause serious injury to workers.
At Goidel & Siegel, we represent injured workers who have suffered serious injuries from a falling object including:
Injuries from falling objects happen for many reasons. Common issues that lead to these life-changing accidents include:
Some workers are more at risk of being hurt by a falling object than others. High-risk occupations include construction, logging, utility workers, factory or warehouse workers, and retail workers.
In the construction industry, being struck by an object is one of the “fatal four” leading causes of deaths on the job. Construction injuries from falling objects can happen when workers are near overhead work from a scaffold, ladder, or crane. It is not just tools and construction material that may be dropped; construction workers can be hurt by dropped loads or heavy equipment that tips or rolls over.
No matter your occupation, you are entitled to a safe workplace free of preventable hazards. After a workplace injury, you are generally entitled to workers’ compensation. This no-fault insurance system can provide benefits to cover your medical bills and lost wages. However, benefits for lost earnings or disability are capped. You cannot recover compensation for your pain, suffering, anguish, and other losses.
You may be entitled to compensation from other sources. Injuries from falling objects are usually due to OSHA violations or other violations of safety laws. In New York, injured construction workers have additional protection.
Labor Law 200 requires owners and contractors to ensure the workplace under their control is reasonably safe. This includes providing adequate protection and ensuring equipment, machinery, and devices are guarded, operated, and placed safely. This law may be violated by failing to provide the necessary safety equipment to protect against injury from a falling object or failing to make reasonable efforts to prevent falling objects. Labor Law 240 or the Scaffolding Law protects workers who are injured in a fall from a height and workers who are hurt by falling objects on a construction site.
You may have a labor law claim that allows you to hold the property owner or general contractor liable for your injury. This can entitle you to compensate outside of workers’ compensation.
Injured workers may also have a third-party personal injury claim against negligent parties who caused their accident. Through a third-party claim, you can seek additional compensation for your losses not covered by workers’ comp.
You should not be facing financial uncertainty after a workplace accident on top of a long and difficult recovery. Goidel & Siegel has represented injured workers for more than three decades. We will help you pursue the full compensation you deserve from all avenues and assist with your workers’ compensation claim. Our New York falling object injury lawyers will fight back against the insurance company and build the strongest claim possible to help you move forward with your life.
Contact our law office for a free consultation with a New York workplace accident lawyer to discuss how we can help. Our multilingual attorneys can meet you at our office, a location of your choosing, or through a virtual consultation.
56 W. 45th Street 3rd Floor New York, NY 10036
