New York Window Cleaner Accident Lawyer Serving NYC and the Hudson Valley
Window washing in New York is an extremely dangerous profession. Window cleaners and other workers who clean the exterior of buildings often work on scaffolding or otherwise at an elevated height, and any misstep can lead to a long fall. If the scaffolding collapses or any safety measure fails, window washers can suffer serious injuries or worse.
If you were injured in a window washing accident, or if your loved one suffered a fatal fall while cleaning a building in New York City or across the Hudson Valley, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. You might be protected by workers’ compensation insurance, New York’s scaffold law, and other personal injury protection. The seasoned personal injury lawyers at Dupée & Monroe, P.C. are ready to help you and your family get the compensation you deserve.
Recovering Compensation After a Window Washing Accident
If you are injured in a fall or other accident while at work, you are entitled to workers’ compensation. Workers’ comp covers workers cleaning windows or performing other maintenance inside or outside of a building. So long as you were on the job at the time of your accident, you can collect workers’ comp benefits including medical care, a portion of your missed wages, temporary or permanent disability benefits, and more.
Workers’ comp is not the only path to compensation, however, and it only provides limited relief. You cannot collect your full lost wages, nor can you collect non-economic damages such as pain and suffering or emotional distress. While most workers are limited to workers’ comp after an on-the-job injury, New York law provides additional protections for employees injured while cleaning windows and exterior surfaces, as well as anyone else who works on scaffolding in the course of their employment.
New York Law Protects Window Washers and Other Workers on Scaffolding
New York Labor Law Section 202 specifically requires contractors and building owners to ensure that window cleaners are provided a safe means for doing their work. If the cleaner will be on a ladder or scaffolding and the building is of sufficient height (three or six stories, depending upon the type of building and location), contractors and building owners/operators must provide appropriate safety devices for the worker.
Between Labor Law Section 202, Section 240 (New York’s scaffold law), and other related laws, window cleaners in New York have a right to bring a civil claim for damages against contractors, building owners, and other parties when they are injured as a result of a safety violation. Workers can file a civil claim in addition to a workers’ comp claim and benefit from the ability to seek additional damages such as pain and suffering. Talk to your workplace injury and window cleaning accident lawyer for advice and assistance concerning your legal rights after a New York window washing accident.
Causes of Window Washing Accidents
Whether you have a cause of action under the Labor Law or are restricted to workers’ comp depends, in part, on what caused the accident. Window washing accidents can happen for a number of reasons. In most cases, however, window cleaning accidents happen because someone along the line was negligent, likely by failing to adhere to proper safety and maintenance requirements. Window cleaning accidents commonly occur due to, for example:
- Scaffold or ladder collapse
- Failure to properly construct scaffolding
- Defective, missing or misused safety equipment
- Problems with the clips, harness, or safety lines
If your accident was caused by a lack of proper safety equipment or instruction, we’ll help you recover damages from the party responsible.
Skilled New York Window Cleaner Accident Attorneys Working for You
If you or a loved one has been injured in a window washing accident in New York City or Orange County, find out if you should file a claim for damages by contacting the accomplished, effective, and professional Goshen personal injury lawyers Dupée & Monroe at 845-294-8900.
