Queens Man Dies in Dumpster Accident During Construction at His Home

Across the New York metropolitan area, we are used to hearing about serious construction accidents occurring at large building and repair sites. Falls from skyscrapers, scaffold failures and crane malfunctions often make the news. It’s important to remember that construction accidents don’t just happen at major structures though. Even a standard home renovation can have deadly consequences, and contractors working on private residences might not take the same safety precautions that are used on large-scale projects.

A fatal construction accident in Auburndale, Queens is evidence of the risks associated with small, residential projects. While a construction dumpster was being unloaded, the loading door hit a 32-year-old in the head, crushing him in between the dumpster and the two-family home where the work was being done. The Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America says that nearly one quarter of all job-related construction worker deaths occur at residential sites. As in the Queens case, contact with objects is one of the four main causes of residential construction fatalities.

There are several reasons why certain dangers are enhanced for laborers who are working at someone’s home, including:

• Untrained workers — Major construction efforts are backed by a lot of money and frequently draw attention from authorities. Accordingly, contractors have strong motivation to hire trained, skilled workers. During residential jobs, day laborers or others who might lack the proper background could be brought on to do dangerous work or operate heavy equipment.
• Tight spaces — Workers, materials and equipment must typically exist in close proximity on a residential site, increasing the likelihood of injuries caused by debris and contact with machinery.
• Weather — Contractors often move quickly from one residential site to another, which presents a hardship even if a weather delay lasts only a few days. This could lead to work that is performed in suboptimal conditions.
• Lack of fall protection — Strict rules regarding scaffolding and other safety measurers exist to protect laborers working on tall structures, but a fall from the roof of a two-story home can be devastating as well. Unfortunately, there is often little regard for fall prevention on residential projects.

Regardless of whether your construction site accident occurred during the building of a skyscraper or the addition of a new room onto someone’s house, the attorneys of Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP are here to provide the legal representation you deserve. Our firm advocates for personal injury and wrongful death plaintiffs across Nassau and Suffolk counties.