Man dies in New York construction accident

Construction work is one of the most dangerous jobs. Every year, hundreds of workers throughout the country die in construction site accidents. Sections 200, 240 and 241 of the New York Labor Law have protected construction workers for more than 100 years.

The laws mandate that employers are legally required to protect their workers from dangerous situations. That includes providing the necessary safety equipment and making sure equipment is safe to use.

Despite the laws, however, individuals are still hurt and killed while doing construction work. Last week, a man suffered fatal injuries and died while he was completing construction work in New York.

At the time of the accident, the 46-year-old man was doing construction work on a railroad bed. He was using an auger to install a pipe that had a 3-foot diameter. Augers are drilling tools that often have rotating screw blades. When augers are used for digging post holes, they can be quite large.

Unfortunately, as the man was using the auger, it got stuck in the pipe. The man fell to the ground, and he was pinned there by the auger. A second construction worker was able to use another tool to lift the auger off the man, and a third worker performed CPR until an ambulance.

The injured worker was taken to the hospital, and he was pronounced dead.

If the family of the deceased man sues the construction company, they may receive compensation for the man’s future lost wages, funeral expenses and loss of consortium.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Vermont man dies in construction accident,” 21 July 2011