A 36-year-old woman was injured after being hit by a falling metal pipe near the intersection of Madison Avenue and 42nd Street. According to reports, the woman had just left a cafe when she was struck outside of a fast food restaurant at about 8:30 a.m. Her injuries are reported to be serious and included a neck injury and two broken ribs. Emergency medical personnel immediately transported her to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
After the incident, the 10-foot long pipe that fell left a visible dent in the sidewalk and was reported to be bent. The pipe came from scaffolding that was being built by West New York Restoration, a company that had been working on a facade cleaning project two doors away. Workers at the scene claimed that the pipe had fallen from 18 stories above when one of them had lost their grip on it.
Following the incident with the falling pipe, a stop work order was issued by the Buildings Department, and a building inspector was sent to survey the damage. Previously, the Buildings Department had issued various building violations because of another incident. However, it was unclear in the report if the violations were issued to the same construction company.
In addition to her physical injuries, the victim of this accident may suffer from psychological injuries that could interfere with her normal daily activities. If she wishes to seek compensation for lost wages and medical expenses, an attorney may help the woman to file a premises liability claim against all of the liable parties. Both the restoration company and the property owner who hired them may be found liable for the woman’s injuries.
Source: WABC-TV, “Woman seriously injured by falling pipe in Midtown“, January 13, 2014
