04/12/2013 // New York, News York, US // New York Injury Accident Lawyer // Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter // (press release)
Some are calling on state lawmakers to reform the scaffold law in New York, which provides protections to ladder and scaffold workers in the state. Section 240 of New York Labor Law stipulates that property owners and construction contractors can be held liable in the event that an injury is sustained by a construction worker while working on a project at elevated heights. Reform advocates see the law as a hindrance to job creation, construction costs, and site safety. However, as The Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter suggests, the safety of workers and ensuring that contractors and property owners provide the necessary tools for maintaining safety should be of the utmost importance.
Without legal protections that help ensure that workers are provided with safety equipment for the prevention of falls and injuries related to falling objects and other potential construction site hazards, the environment for workers could become even more dangerous. Construction zones are already full of risks, and reducing worker protections is never a good idea. Under current laws in the state, employers can be held liable for violating the rules that require them to take certain safety precautions. That way, if a New York construction accident occurs, injured workers can be compensated for related damages.
If reform efforts lead to an amendment of New York Scaffold Law, negligence could be apportioned in accordance with the actions of each party involved, and how they contributed to an accident. Making construction worker accident claims more complex in this way could be the slippery slope towards shifting blame completely to workers who could fail to see any compensation at all.
The New York construction accident lawyers of the Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter understand the problems that can arise for injured construction workers and are there to support them and ensure that they receive fair treatment for related cases.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a construction accident and want to discuss your legal options with a qualified attorney, contact The Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter today and request a free case evaluation.
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