New York Law Blog

A worker was injured in a Midtown construction accident after he fell four stories when a scaffolding piece broke apart. The 43 year old worker was taken to a local hospital complaining of severe back pain, while two other workers were injured less severely. From senior partner Jeffrey Lichtman:

Here is yet another example of a terrible accident that occurred in our city, probably due to negligent disregard of proper safety regulations. Though a full report on what exactly went wrong and who is at fault is not complete, experience with these incidences has taught me that more often than not, they are the results of a failure to adhere to the mandates of the labor law of the state of New York.

Oneida county government has decided to spend roughly $21 million to eliminate asbestos from it’s office building. The building, built in 1970 at the height of asbestos use in construction, has already had the material removed from three of it’s ten floors. Senior partner Jeffrey Lichtman weighs in on the hazards of asbestos:

Asbestos in the environment is a clear hazard and danger. Owners of property have the option to take a proactive and protective step to remove asbestos from the premises or take the risk and gamble with peoples lives. We hope that the press continues to report on these issues, making the dangers associated with asbestos more well known to the public.

Obama’s sweeping victory brought a wave of Democrats into office across the country and in New York State, new leadership in the Senate. New York Democrats have long labored to protect the consumers of the State of New York and here in the City. Now, with the majority of Democrats in the Senate, we hope to see new legislation to expand access to justice in the courthouse.