New York Utility Worker Injury Lawyer

New York City utility workers are highly skilled and trained technicians. These contractors and employees maintain various types of utilities daily to ensure our lives go uninterrupted. Utilities range from water, electricity, gas, water, sewage, and garbage disposal. Utility workers are often responsible for multiple aspects of a customer’s utilities, including installing new equipment, replacing old materials, and performing routine maintenance. 

Many utility workers work under dangerous conditions that include working on utility poles several feet in the air, in tight tunnels underground, or with live power lines. Utility personnel should always be aware of their surroundings and exercise caution as they may consistently work in dangerous situations.

Hill & Moin LLC is based in New York City and has a network of trusted personal injury lawyers throughout the state. Please contact our empathetic, professional lawyers today to find out how we can help protect your rights in a free consultation session – call (212) 668-6000.

How to Protect Your Rights Under New York State Law 

Are you a utility worker in New York who has been injured on the job? Even as an undocumented worker, you have rights in New York. 

If proper safety measures were taken and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards are met in your case, workers’ compensation may compensate you for your injuries. In some situations, though, you may get denied or find it to be a lengthy process. 

If you have hit a wall and feel that you are struggling with workers’ compensation – contact us, we can help! 

At Hill & Moin, our clients know, when our law firm takes on a case, you will have an attorney with utility accident experience. We can ensure your rights are met and that you receive the aggressive defense you deserve.  Contact our law firm today for free legal advice. 

Types of Personal Injuries Utility Workers May Sustain

Utilities that require highly skilled workers include water, electricity, gas, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), cable, and communication services. These industries have a higher risk of utility worker accidents. 

While most employers and job sites ensure workers have the required safety equipment needed to perform their jobs safely to prevent personal injury, accidents can still occur. Injuries a utility worker can suffer may include:

• Brain or spinal cord injury
• Broken bones
• Cuts and bruises
• Explosions
• Muscle strains and tears
• Neck injury

Types of Accidents That May Involve Utility Workers

Utility workers use a wide variety of materials and tools on different types of job sites. Each of these tools may cause a potentially dangerous risk, even when being used properly. 

Construction-related accidents that you or a co-worker may be involved in may include any of the following:

• Electrocution: Electricians employed by an electric company, or a self-employed electrician, may be in constant contact with high-voltage electricity lines. When wires are improperly grounded, encountering it may lead to severe injury or death. Other industrial employees and contractors are also subject to encounter electricity during construction, maintenance, and other daily tasks. Electrocution may cause a wide range of injuries, from a superficial burn to loss of bodily functions or death. 
• Slipping and/or falling: A utility worker may be expected to work in extreme conditions at times. Uneven or slippery surfaces create the potential for an accident to occur. In a busy city like New York, utility work may typically be done up high, on top of a pole, roof, or ladder. Even when a worker is using caution, he or she may be at risk for a fall injury. Injuries related to slip-or-falls may range from strained muscles to broken bones.
• Exposure to toxic chemicals: Toxic chemicals like lead, asbestos, and other solvents may often be found in areas where utility workers are required to work. It is common for them to encounter toxic chemicals when they are not made aware of their presence. The resulting injury may cause skin irritations, scarring, life-altering breathing illnesses, or cancer. 
• Punctured gas lines: Gas lines should always be appropriately marked before groundwork is performed to prevent a cut or punctured gas line. However, gas lines may be punctured by accident, and the resulting gas exposure may cause health problems for workers and bystanders. 

Work Locations Where Utilities Are Required

Utility workers must work under many different conditions. The following are just a few of the dangerous work conditions in which personal injury or wrongful death may occur involving a utility worker: 

• Around boom lifts or buckets – Some workers use these lifts to reach high electric lines, put out fires, or perform other types of work in elevated areas; people may fall from these lifts or be electrocuted when coming in contact with a power line
• In confined spaces, such as tunnels or trenches – New construction or reconstruction often requires equipment and utilities to be installed using trenches under buildings; these trenches may collapse when proper safety measures are not taken 
• In or around old buildings – Harmful chemicals may not be removed from old building structures. During utility work, repairs or demolition, workers may be exposed to these chemicals which may cause health problems
• Around high-voltage power lines – Whether the lines are in the air or under the ground, any worker may encounter a live power line when not being cautious or unaware of its location; the buried wire may not be marked before groundwork is performed 
• During extreme weather – Workers may be required to work in adverse weather conditions to restore utilities for customers and businesses when storms take out the power or disrupt water mains
• In busy or crowded roadways – When an accident takes out a utility service, workers may be required to risk their lives and possible personal injury to ensure the service is restored without disrupting traffic 

Even when precautions are taken and safety measures are in place, accidents may still happen. The legal services of an attorney may be required. It is vital to obtain the services of a legal team that has experience with personal injury claims. 

Our clients know that we take each case seriously. When we take on your case at Hill & Moin LLC, we will work hard to seek the compensation you deserve. Learn more about what our results-oriented lawyers may do for you by calling (212) 668-6000. 

When Utility Workers Are Exposed to Asbestos

Asbestos is a toxic substance commonly found in older buildings. Asbestos can be found in the flooring plaster used to make walls or in the insulation. When a utility worker is required to do maintenance inside or around a building where asbestos was not removed, the worker is at a high risk of contact. 

Utility workers should be supplied with efficient personal protective equipment (PPE), which is used to prevent exposure. Unfortunately, masks may not always be an efficient form of personal protective equipment. Family members and loved ones may be exposed to asbestos when fibers land on your clothing and you bring them home with you. 

Asbestos exposure may lead to mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer found in the lining of the lungs. Mesothelioma can cause severe breathing problems and eventually lead to death. 

If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos or diagnosed with an illness due to exposure, contact us today. When hiring a personal injury lawyer with Hill & Moin, we will do everything to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. 

How a New York Utility Injury Lawyer Can Help You After an Accident

The first thing you should do after being injured in an accident is simple: Seek medical attention. As an employee, you should never solely rely on the employer’s advice to determine how serious your injuries are or when to return to work. 

Most employers want employees to return to work as soon as possible, while insurance companies will try to minimize the number of claims they payout. Workers’ compensation benefits are supposed to help cover medical expenses. However, receiving compensation may sometimes be difficult. 

When a utility worker gets injured on a job site, it is essential to know the cause of the accident and who was involved, or to identify any witnesses. These specific details can help the attorney build a successful case to ensure you receive fair compensation.  

After an accident, medical expenses incurred may add up quickly, especially if you suffered serious injuries. Some law firms claim to have experience with utility injury claims, but you should be leary of an attorney advertising fast claims without proof of experience to back it up. Do your research and hire a team of lawyers with the experience with utility worker’s injuries to successfully fight against attorneys and insurance companies.  

The team of lawyers at Hill & Moin LLC is aware of the risks involved in utility work, mindful of the statute of limitations on which you may file a claim, experienced with workers’ compensation, and capable of fighting for the compensation you deserve. 

Don’t wonder about your rights. Contact us today at (212) 668-6000 for a free consultation with an attorney to learn your Personal Injury Recovery SolutionsⓇ.