Brooklyn Heights Construction Accident Results in Death

Construction accident death occurs needlessly and too often. This is especially true when work involves scaffolds and construction done at heights more than 20 feet from the ground. For decades, NYS has had a law in effect called the Scaffold Law. It provides legal protection for construction workers who experience gravity-related accidents involving heights.

Details of the Brooklyn Heights Construction Accident

On February 14, 2022, a construction worker fell several stories at a Brooklyn Heights work site.

According to a Brownstoner article, emergency personnel and the police found the worker lying unconscious on the second floor of a 10 story building. One report stated he had fallen from the roof and another that he had fallen from the eighth floor. In either case, he was working at a height more than 20 feet above the ground. A construction worker who witnessed the fall said the worker had not been wearing a harness when he fell.

The property where the construction site accident occurred was a former Jehovah's Witness dormitory. The propter owner, Vincent Viola, who is a billionaire financial entrepreneur, is converting the property into a luxury apartment building with 96 units. The name of the rental building is The Torre House.

Seventeen complaints regarding worker safety on the property had been filed with the DOB and city's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings since 2020.  Three of the 17 complaints were dismissed. Among the complaints were allegations of insufficient guard rails and a lack of vertical safety nets.

Legal Protection Under the Scaffold Law

Construction site workers can suffer injury due to gravity-related falls while working at elevations more than 20 feet without proper safety equipment. Under such instances, the Scaffold Law enables injury victims or their families to hold employers and property owners fully accountable.

Do you need legal help with a construction death in New York?

Our attorneys at Sackstein, Sackstein & Lee, LLP can answer your questions in a free consultation and determine whether grounds exist to sue. Call us at  516-248-2234 or 718-539-3100 or reach out to us through our contact form