Workers Injured in Astoria Construction Site Accident
Three construction workers suffered serious injuries in an accident in Astoria, Queens, on Tuesday, June 20. According to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the workers became trapped after the upper section of a house collapsed on 28th Road, resulting in the roof caving in and pinning them in the basement.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said that one of the workers managed to escape from the rubble on his own, despite his serious injuries. Crews found the second worker, a 40-year-old man, pinned in the debris. He is now in critical condition.
The third worker, a 28-year-old man, was stuck beneath several thousand pounds of construction materials inside the basement. Crews managed to crawl in to him and administer drugs intravenously to provide pain relief while other rescuers dug out the debris. This man was also in critical condition, but could communicate and was eventually taken away via ambulance to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst.
Investigation is ongoing
The home that was the site of the accident is still under construction. The initial reports were that a crane dropped debris on top of the roof. However, officials later stated that the crane had already left the site by the time the accident occurred and that heavy construction material was in place. The debris reportedly included bags of cement, concrete blocks and laminate beams (each of which weighs 1,200 pounds).
A representative from the New York City Department of Buildings said all heavy equipment deliveries should be dropped off at lower levels, unless engineers have provided permission to place those materials on the roof. It is unclear if engineers had provided approval at the Astoria site before the accident.
Construction companies and contractors must maintain reasonably safe conditions for their workers and any passersby to a construction site. When they fail to do so, they could be liable for any accidents and injuries that result.
To learn more about your options if you’ve been injured on the job, speak with an experienced construction accident attorney at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP.