Giuseppe Pagano, 49, came to work on Saturday, May 18th, just like he always had. He was a long-time employee of Sciame Construction, which was in the middle of a renovation of Milstein Properties’ 335 Madison Avenue, right in the heart of Manhattan. On that day, Mr. Pagano was cleaning out some debris on the fifth floor and found himself falling 30 feet down to the second floor. While he was still alive when emergency services reached him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital some time later.
Following an investigation, officials from the New York Police Department and the New York Department of Buildings determined that the area in which Mr. Pagano was working was not equipped with proper guardrails, which allowed his fall. According to a representative of the large-scale luxury project, the scaffolding in question may have had its guardrails removed during the installation of an interior curtain wall system. At this time, they think it could have been done by a subcontractor.
Milstein Properties and Sciame Construction plan to work together to review the details of this case. A statement issued by Sciame Construction said they are “devastated by this tragic accident,” and hope that in the future, “every protocol is in place to keep our construction workers and worksites happy,” according to The Real Deal, a New York real estate news magazine.
The New York Department of Buildings is dealing with a concerning number of construction-related deaths recently, including three workers who were killed within the same week last April. Over the last year, there have been 18 construction worker deaths while on the job. Whether this was due to inadequate safety standards or not, the Department of Buildings plans on finding out the answer by significantly increasing the number of safety inspectors at construction sites.
A New York Construction Accident Attorney Can Help
Construction companies are held to strict standards regarding the safety of their site. When supervisors, managers, or employees neglect these safety standards, there can be tragic consequences.
If you have been seriously injured in a construction-related accident, you have options. Contact an experienced New York construction accident attorney at Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco, LLP, to learn more about your legal rights and how your future can be protected. To schedule a free consultation and start the process towards healing, call us at 800-223-2814.
