On Tuesday November 8th, 2011, a building collapsed on a Brooklyn worksite. One worker died in the collapse and 4 more were injured. The incident occurred around 2:30 PM at 2929 Brighton 5th Street.
In describing the collapse, one worker said, "It just came right down. It didn't give a warning. It just buckled." Several workers were trapped in the debris, and at least one was found in a mix of wet concrete and rubble up to his chest. Firefighters from the New York City Fire Department were among the first to arrive on the scene. Fire Captain William Gallagher said some of the injured workers were visible in the rubble, and others could be heard calling for help beneath it. After all was said and done, two workers were able to get out on their own, and firefighters freed 3 more from the rubble. One worker went into cardiac arrest and was transported to Coney Island Hospital in critical condition. Three more injured workers were transported to Lutheran Medical Center and reported to be in serious condition.
According to witnesses and officials, the 5-story building collapsed as concrete was poured on the higher floors before the lower floors. Although there is some argument over how appropriately the concrete was handled, it is believed that pouring the concrete from the top down was the main issue in the collapse. According to some, the workers should have been pouring the concrete from the lower floors up. The Department of Buildings will investigate and intends to take action against anyone responsible for the tragic accident.
The Brooklyn worker's compensation attorneys with Markhoff & Mittman, PC send out our best wishes for recovery to these injured workers and their families. We are devoted to protecting the rights of injured workers and are always available to answer your questions about New York worker's compensation and disability.