New York City Department of Buildings Moves to Revoke License from Contractor After Fatal Accident

The New York Daily News reported on September 14, 2019, that the New York City Department of Buildings had filed for a contractor’s special rigger license to be revoked after he was involved in the death of a construction worker killed by a falling stone at a Manhattan work site. The Buildings Department claimed the contractor “did not take proper precautions” at an East 50th Street facade restoration project where a 51-year-old man was killed.

According to the Daily News, authorities said the 51-year-old man was working on scaffolding halfway up a 14-story residential building in April when a coping stone was knocked loose by rigging used to support scaffolding. The dislodged stone struck the man in the head, and he died at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

A probe by the Department of Buildings found that the owner of Queens-based Vlad Construction Ltd. failed to produce “multiple inspection records … related to the scaffold setup.” A buildings official told the Daily News that instead of properly designing and inspecting the installation of the suspended scaffold himself as required of a licensed special rigger, the contractor allowed employees to determine the setup of the scaffold and ultimately did so in an improper and unsafe manner.

The Daily News noted that the move by the New York City Department of Buildings to revoke a contractor’s special rigger license came one week after it suspended the special rigger licenses of two contractors in connection with the June death of a construction worker in Harlem. In that case, a 44-year-old man was killed when he plunged from the second level of scaffolding at a St. Nicholas Avenue job site, and the Department of Buildings claimed the contractors failed to secure proper permits before they set up the scaffolding.

Contact a Construction Accident Lawyer Today

If you lost a loved one in a tragic workplace accident in New York or Long Island, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the experienced attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C., for assistance right away. Call us at 1-855-TOP-FIRM, chat with us live, or fill out a contact form to schedule a free consultation with a member of our team today.