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On Friday, November 1, a construction wall collapsed in New York City injuring three people, at least two of whom were pedestrians/bystanders. The accident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. in Times Square. Multiple New Yorkers helped lift pieces of construction material to free those trapped. Source: www.nydailynews.com, “Times Square construction wall falls, injuring two women temporarily trapped underneath”
The initial question in this construction wall collapse accident is whether the construction company, or company which erected the wall was negligent and therefore responsible for the bystanders’ injuries. The answer depends on whether the wall was erected negligently.
It is important to note that weather may have played a factor in this collapse. Winds reached 40 mph in the hours prior to the collapse. Nonetheless, construction companies must account for weather conditions such as wind, rain, etc., when conducting activities such as erecting construction walls.
Negligence in Construction Activities
Wind often becomes an issue in construction site activities. Oftentimes, building materials are not secured properly both to the structure under construction and to other elements of the construction activities. For instance, scaffolds often collapse due to negligence in erecting the scaffold and connecting the scaffold materials, i.e., cross bracing, mid rails, footings, etc.
Related: Scaffold Collapse Accident Prevention – The Importance of Proper Bracing
OSHA regulations apply to virtually all construction site activities and also specify how construction elements such as a wall are to be secured to prevent movement/displacement. Construction materials may be secured with the following:
- bolts,
- nails,
- anchors,
- ties,
- stud attachment devices,
- welding, or
- locking pins.
Proving Negligence in a Construction Wall Collapse Accident Case
Oftentimes, construction companies fail to adequately attach pieces of the wall to both the building under construction and to other parts of the wall. Use of poor quality materials or overuse of the same materials can lead to collapses. For example, reusing a weak locking pin for multiple projects can lead to a situation in which the pin snaps, causing the entire wall to collapse. Proving negligence in a construction wall collapse accident case requires an investigation into the nature of construction activities, how the wall was erected, the materials used to erect the wall, etc.
Related construction collapse accident articles:
- Building Collapse & Demolition Accidents – The Importance of the Engineering Survey
- Structural Steel Assembly – Building Collapse Accidents
- Lessons from a New Jersey Construction Collapse Case – Tropicana Garage Collapse
Construction Collapse & Construction Site Accident Lawyers
If you’d like to discuss your scaffold collapse accident case with one of our New Jersey and Pennsylvania scaffold fall and construction accident lawyers, call Click To Call for your NO OBLIGATION consultation now.
About Pennsylvania and New Jersey Construction Accident Lawyer, Jeff Laffey
Jeff Laffey is passionate about workers’ rights and accident safety. Jeff’s law firm proudly represents union and nonunion workers, such as:
- carpenters,
- plumbers,
- electricians,
- steel workers,
- iron workers, and
- laborers.