By: Robert Baumgarten
My name is Robert Baumgarten and I am one of the construction accident attorneys here at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P. Today I would like to talk to you for a moment about scaffold and ladder accidents and the rights of workers who are injured in an accident while using a ladder or a scaffold at a work site. Under New Jersey Law, a worker injured while in the course of his/her employment usually has two potential claims. The first is a Workers’ Compensation claim against your employer, and the 2nd is a third party action against someone other than your employer. Although these claims overlap somewhat, they are brought separately and in different courts. [Read more…]
Spinal cord injuries are among the most traumatic personal injuries because they often have lasting and serious repercussions. A recent study by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine suggests that such injuries are becoming more common, emphasizing the need to be aware of the causes and potential risk factors. 
Construction executives, real estate developers, and anyone else who puts the priorities of business over worker protection have been fighting to have New York’s129-year-old scaffolding law revamped in their favor. 
As a construction worker, you face many risks on a daily basis. But none of these is quite so prevalent as the risk of falling. 
OSHA, or the Occupational Health and Safety Act, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970. Its main goal is to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. Since its implementation, OSHA has been pivotal in maintaining worker safety at construction sites all over the country.