New York Plumbing Accident Lawyers
The plumbing infrastructure of a house, city, or even human body is essential. In the case of a home or another building, it is plumbers who build and maintain its essential systems. However, the plumbing work can be dangerous.
A negligent action or inaction on the part of an employer, coworker, or homeowner can result in severe injuries. Have you been injured on the job? You may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation, even if you are an undocumented worker.
The personal injury lawyers at the New York law firm of Hill & Moin LLP understand and appreciate the vital work that plumbers perform in our homes and in our city. We want to see all injured plumbers, and anyone else harmed in a plumbing accident, receive the restitution they deserve after an injury.
Contact us at (212) 668-6000 to schedule your initial free consultation today to learn about your Personal Injury Recovery Solutions Ⓡ.
How Plumbers Can Experience Injury in a Fully Constructed House
When you think of a plumber, perhaps the first image that comes to your mind is a man with half his body under a sink. You may imagine him in a fully constructed and furnished home, and this scenario may not immediately indicate danger.
The reality is, though, that even this seemingly harmless scenario can present a danger to a plumber. How so? Tight, confined spaces and hand tools.
Working in a small space with little headroom can result in head injuries. Additionally, trying to move about and perform work in a tight space can result in cuts, scrapes, and scratches. These cuts and scrapes can come into contact with mold and other biohazardous sewage-like material. This contact and exposure to sewage-like material could result in serious infections.
Even in a completed house that is already fully constructed, a working plumber may need to use hand tools. Hand tools that are defective from design or defective from the manufacturing process can severely injure the hands, eyes, or other body parts of the plumber.
Accidents Plumbers Can Experience on a Construction Site
Whether it is the construction of a house or the construction of a large building, plumbers are exposed to danger. The following are some accidents common to plumbers when working on construction sites.
Falling from an elevated height
Plumbers often need to work from heights, anywhere from a few feet above the ground to extremely high on a large building.
Plumbers frequently use ladders. A ladder, when positioned or secured incorrectly, can be especially dangerous. Ladders are not intended for long-term work. A plumber who uses a ladder for a long time can slip or fall.
At times, it is necessary for plumbers to use scaffolding. The scaffolding must be used properly as well as constructed correctly. If not, what can happen?
Scaffolding can collapse. Harnesses improperly maintained or secured can fail. A plumber can be seriously hurt in the resulting fall and by the collapsing scaffolding.
Injured by falling debris
During the process of construction of a building, debris and other materials are likely to fall from elevated positions. Often, another worker is performing a task up higher, perhaps even very far above the plumber.
If the worker drops a tool or other piece of equipment, this can hit the plumber and cause serious harm. Even when a plumber is using a hard hat and other personal protective equipment (PPE), there is the potential for serious injury to his torso, limbs, hands, and feet.
Hit, struck, and crushed by heavy equipment
Construction sites are full of large, heavy machinery and supplies. Such equipment can range in size from a small excavator to a large crane. If an operator of heavy machinery fails to be attentive and careful, the equipment or load being carried can hit or crush a plumber.
Injured by defective power tools
A defect can happen during the design of the tool or its manufacturing process. Such a flaw can cause the tool to not work properly, malfunction, and seriously injure the plumber.
Additional Injuries Plumbers Can Experience on a Construction Site
The injuries mentioned above usually occur quickly and produce immediate symptoms. However, there are other injuries that plumbers can experience on a construction site that are less obvious. Although not immediately visible, these injuries can also be serious.
Exposure to asbestos
Asbestos is still found in many buildings constructed decades ago. Exposure to asbestos can result in:
- Respiratory issues
- Lung damage
- Lung cancer
- Cancer of the kidneys, throat, or gastrointestinal tract
- Mesothelioma
Eye injuries
When a plumber fails to use appropriate eye equipment, his or her eyes can be exposed to substances that quickly or slowly damage the eyes.
Hearing loss
The reduction of a person’s hearing ability is perhaps among the most subtle injuries. Yet, it is prevalent among workers in certain industries. According to research, some 48 percent of plumbers reported a measure of hearing loss.
The slow progression of diminished hearing can take months or even years to notice. Yet, the effects can be long-lasting and affect a person’s life immensely.
How Negligence Is Often Involved in Plumbing Accidents
The materials and items surrounding a plumber are often hand tools, heavy equipment, ladders, scaffolding, and pipes. It is true that these items may be what directly causes the injury. However, these objects alone do not carry all of the blame.
These tools and fixtures do not have brains and motives. They only do what a person moves them to do and go where they are positioned. Often, human negligence plays a part in an accident and injury to a plumber.
If your plumbing accident is the result of human error and negligence, you may be entitled to receive compensation. However, at-fault parties are usually anything but quick to admit fault. Nor are they immediately ready and willing to offer compensation.
Personal injury attorneys, familiar with accidents involving plumbers, are crucial to helping victims obtain their compensation. While victims recover physically from their injuries, their attorneys can handle their financial recovery through compensation.
The attorney representing your case can speak to and fight the at-fault parties and their insurance companies on your behalf. That way, you can relax and focus on your recovery with confidence in those handling your case.
What Compensation Is Available to Victims of Plumbing Accidents?
Depending on the circumstances of your plumbing accident, you may face traumatic physical injuries. Unfortunately, the difficulties that come after a plumbing accident are not limited to only physical injury. A victim’s finances can also be hard hit.
A plumbing accident can result in the need for considerable medical assistance. This medical assistance can create a mountain of medical bills. To make matters worse, as you recover from the injury, you may be unable to return to work. It may be that the injury is so severe that you cannot work again in the future either.
The combination of mounting medical bills and reduced or completely lost wages can create anxiety and stress. However, this stressful pressure can be alleviated. How so? Your financial interest can be protected with the help of experienced personal injury attorneys.
If you have been injured in a plumbing accident, you may be able to receive compensation for the following:
- Emergency medical expenses
- Necessary medication and medical devices
- Hospital bills
- Treatment from specialists, if necessary
- Pain and suffering
- Long-term disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of limb
- Reduction of life enjoyment
- Mental anguish
- Wrongful death damages
- Lost income
- Lost future wages
- Punitive damages
Lawyers who are skilled in plumbing accidents can assist you in receiving the compensation you deserve for your injuries. If your injury and resulting costs are not mentioned above, you may still qualify to receive compensation.
Please speak to a personal injury attorney at the New York Law Office of Hill & Moin LLP. Our attorneys can help you identify if and what type of restitution you are entitled to receive.
Get the Help You Need After a Plumbing Accident
The work of plumbers is essential to the cleanliness, safety, and comfort of a house – as well as that of the community and city. We want to protect our neighbors who could suffer an injury at any time while performing their work or when visiting homes or construction sites. The costs can be high and the harm could include long-term damage.
If you were hurt by someone else’s negligence, you deserve assistance. It’s possible to be compensated so you can pay for your medical bills and other expenses caused by your injury. You may also get restitution for the pain and suffering that you are experiencing because of the accident.
The personal injury law firm of Hill & Moin LLP can help you. We can connect you with lawyers who understand plumbing accidents and can provide you with essential assistance. Contact a personal injury attorney at (212) 668-6000 to schedule your initial free consultation today to learn about your Personal Injury Recovery SolutionsⓇ.
Don’t wonder about your rights!