New York Law Blog

In the wake of the devastating tower crane collapse in Manhattan on May 20, it has come to light that Bethany Klein, the former Buildings Department head of the crane and derricks unit, warned the Department that the particular crane was at risk. The crane in question had been repaired in the months previous to the accident, but was questioned by some as to it’s overall health. From one of our senior partners, Jeffrey Lichtman:

As I’ve said time and again, crane collapses are some of the most dangerous and devastating accidents our city faces. Simultaneously, however, they are one of the easiest to avoid. In this particular case, Bethany Klein, the former head of the building department’s crane and derricks unit, had even written an email warning that the crane was in bad shape and ought to be shut down. This email was sent nine months before it ultimately collapsed, taking the lives of two construction workers. Unfortunately, the reality is that many of these tragedies are the result of an attempt by the construction companies to save time and money. Ceasing construction to make repairs on a crane is something construction companies avoid at all costs, but the result of the risk that they take ends up costing a lot more in the long run. As Ms. Klein wrote in her email, "The city needs to address this."

After a fatal construction accident in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, it was discovered that the contractor responsible for the site was running the job site with a fake license. The man took on the identity of another to utilize a special rigger’s license which gave him the ability to set up scaffolding. TGL senior partner Jeffrey Lichtman weighs in on the tragic event:

This is an extremely troubling situation that combines the negligence of a fraudulent contractor and a failure of the City to recognize a scheme before it resulted in the horrific death of an innocent worker. Numerous safety regulations were ignored and violated including the lack of a certified foreman to oversee the project. Following these discoveries, the Buildings Department suspended work at as many as 28 other construction sites in the City involving the same "contractor." Rose Gill Hearn, the commissioner of the investigation department, said that the case involved "brazen fraud, unsafe construction practices, and a worker’s tragic death. The individuals in this scheme put the lives of workers and the public in danger." My hope is that the City responds aggressively and actively so as to avoid future incidences of fraud and negligent disregard for safety regulations at construction sites.

A worker was injured in a Midtown construction accident after he fell four stories when a scaffolding piece broke apart. The 43 year old worker was taken to a local hospital complaining of severe back pain, while two other workers were injured less severely. From senior partner Jeffrey Lichtman:

Here is yet another example of a terrible accident that occurred in our city, probably due to negligent disregard of proper safety regulations. Though a full report on what exactly went wrong and who is at fault is not complete, experience with these incidences has taught me that more often than not, they are the results of a failure to adhere to the mandates of the labor law of the state of New York.