Washing windows on New York City’s iconic high-rise buildings is a perilous job that demands immense bravery and precision. While these dedicated professionals ensure our city sparkles, they face extraordinary risks daily. When safety measures fail, the consequences can be catastrophic for window washers.
If you are an injured window washer in New York City, navigating the complex legal process while tending to your injuries can be exhausting. At Hach & Rose, LLP, our experienced window washing accident lawyers in NYC are committed to defending the rights of injured workers like you.
With nearly 25 years of experience, our firm has secured over one billion dollars in compensation for accident victims. We are ready to provide sound, honest legal representation and tirelessly fight to achieve the justice and full compensation you deserve.
The Dangers: Common Causes of NYC Window Washing Accidents
Window washing is not just a job; it’s a high-stakes endeavor full of danger. Sadly, many accidents on New York City skyscrapers are preventable. Most are caused by negligence or disregard for crucial safety protocols. Understanding these common causes helps identify who may be liable and allows us to build a strong legal claim.
Equipment Failure: When Safety Devices Malfunction
- Defective Scaffolding or Platforms: Malfunctioning or improperly maintained scaffolding, suspended platforms, or movable stages can suddenly collapse, detach, or swing wildly.
- Worn or Broken Ropes and Cables: The lifelines of window washers, ropes, and cables, if old, frayed, or improperly secured, can snap, leading to a devastating fall.
- Malfunctioning Anchors and Tie-Offs: The points where safety lines attach to the building must be solid and regularly inspected. Failure of these anchors can cause workers to plummet.
- Faulty Harnesses and Belts: Even with a harness, if it’s damaged, ill-fitting, or not properly clipped, it offers little protection against a fall.
Building Owner and Contractor Negligence: A Breach of Duty
- Inadequate Safety Equipment: Building owners, lessees, and contractors are legally obligated to provide safe means for window cleaning. Failing to supply appropriate, functional, and well-maintained equipment is a critical breach.
- Lack of Proper Inspections: Safety gear, anchor points, and platforms require diligent, regular inspection. Neglecting these checks allows dangerous conditions to persist unseen.
- Unsafe Building Conditions: The exterior surfaces themselves might present hazards, such as crumbling facades, loose masonry, or inadequate access points, making safe work impossible.
- Poor Training or Supervision: Sometimes, accidents happen because workers are not adequately trained on equipment use or safety procedures, or supervision is lax.
Environmental Factors: Unexpected Dangers
- High Winds: Gusts of wind can destabilize suspended platforms, push workers unexpectedly, or cause ropes to snag, leading to loss of control.
- Inclement Weather: Rain, ice, or snow can make surfaces slippery, compromise equipment, and reduce visibility, significantly increasing accident risk.
- Falling Debris: Objects falling from above, often from construction work on upper floors, can strike window washers, causing severe impact injuries.
Our window washing accident attorneys in NYC thoroughly investigate every element of your accident to pinpoint the exact cause(s) and identify all responsible parties.
Using Key New York Labor Laws to Protect Window Washers
New York State has specific, strong laws designed to protect workers, especially those performing dangerous jobs at heights like window washing. These laws are critical for holding negligent parties accountable and providing support to successful personal injury claims.
- New York Labor Law Section 202: This vital statute specifically addresses window cleaning. It mandates that “the owner, lessee, agent, and manager of every public building and every contractor involved shall provide such safe means for the cleaning of the windows…” It further states that no window may be cleaned unless safe means are provided to prevent accidents and protect workers. This law places a clear duty on building owners and others to ensure safety.
- New York Labor Law Section 240 (“Scaffold Law”): Often called the “Scaffold Law,” this powerful statute is crucial for window washers. It imposes strict liability on property owners and general contractors for “gravity-related” injuries. If a window washer falls from a height because proper safety devices were not provided or failed to adequately protect them, the owner or contractor can be held responsible, even if they didn’t directly cause the fall.
- New York Labor Law Section 241(6): This section requires owners and contractors to ensure that reasonable and adequate protection for workers is maintained in all areas where construction, excavation, or demolition work is being performed. While Section 202 is more specific to window cleaning, 241(6) can provide additional protection by referencing specific industrial code rules relevant to scaffolds, hoisting, and other work at heights.
- New York Labor Law Section 200: This general workplace safety statute requires owners and contractors to provide a safe workplace. It covers hazards related to the methods and equipment used on the job and conditions of the premises. If a building owner or contractor has control over the work and has actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition that causes an accident, this law may apply.
Our legal team knows how to apply these complex statutes to establish liability and secure maximum compensation for injured window washers.
The High Cost of Falls: Injuries Suffered by Window Washers
Falls from significant heights can lead to some of the most devastating and life-altering injuries imaginable. For window washers, the physical and financial toll of such accidents is immense, often requiring extensive medical care and impacting their ability to work.
Common severe injuries include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Impact from falls can cause concussions, severe contusions, or open head wounds, leading to lasting cognitive impairments, memory loss, speech difficulties, and personality changes.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Falls can result in fractured vertebrae, herniated discs, or direct spinal cord damage, leading to partial or complete paralysis, chronic pain, and a loss of motor function.
- Multiple Fractures and Broken Bones: High-impact falls often cause complex fractures throughout the body, including limbs, pelvis, and ribs, frequently requiring multiple surgeries, internal fixation, and prolonged rehabilitation.
- Internal Organ Damage: The force of a fall can cause internal bleeding, organ rupture, or other severe internal injuries that require emergency surgery and extensive recovery.
- Amputations: In severe cases, crushing injuries or entanglement with equipment during a fall can necessitate the amputation of limbs.
- Permanent Disfigurement and Scarring: Severe lacerations, burns (if electrical elements are involved), or trauma from the accident can lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement, causing significant emotional distress.
- Wrongful Death: Tragically, many window washing accidents are fatal. In these heartbreaking situations, families have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim to seek financial stability and justice for their lost loved one.
These injuries usually demand extensive medical treatment, long-term rehabilitation, and often result in significant lost wages and a diminished earning capacity, underscoring the critical need for partnering with experienced legal advocates.
Your Path to Justice: How Hach & Rose, LLP, Helps Injured Window Washers in NYC
The personal injury legal process in New York can be complex and confusing after a traumatic window washing accident. At Hach & Rose, LLP, we streamline this journey for you, handling every legal detail so you can focus on healing and recovery.
Our commitment to your case involves:
- Investigating to Determine Who is Liable: We can investigate your accident, working with experts to reconstruct the event, analyze equipment, and scrutinize safety records. Our goal is to identify all responsible parties, which may include the building owner, property manager, maintenance company, general contractor, and equipment manufacturers.
- Gathering Critical Evidence & Building a Powerful Case: Our team systematically collects and analyzes all vital evidence, including accident reports, maintenance logs, witness statements, photographs, video footage, safety manuals, and expert testimony. This comprehensive approach builds an undeniable foundation for your claim.
- Aggressive Advocacy Against Insurance Companies: We handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies. Our primary goal is to shield you from tactics designed to minimize or deny your claim, ensuring your rights are protected and that all settlement offers truly reflect the full value of your losses.
- Meeting Legal Deadlines: New York law imposes strict statutes of limitations for personal injury lawsuits and other critical deadlines. We track and meet deadlines to protect your right to pursue compensation.
- Relentless Pursuit of Full Compensation: Whether through aggressive settlement negotiations or determined courtroom litigation, our firm tenaciously works to recover the maximum financial compensation for all your damages.
- Compassionate & Transparent Guidance: Throughout your legal journey, we provide honest, empathetic, and clear legal counsel. We keep you fully informed at every stage, ensuring you understand your options and the progress of your case, providing support and confidence during this challenging time.
- No Upfront Payment From You: Since we accept personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing upfront, and we don’t receive any attorneys’ fees unless we successfully resolve your case through negotiation or a favorable trial verdict.
Attempting to handle these complex legal processes on your own can significantly delay your recovery or result in you receiving far less compensation than you deserve. Since there is no initial financial obligation, you have nothing to lose. Learn more about how we can help during a free case consultation.
Your Potential Compensation: What Damages are Available in a Window Washing Accident Claim?
When a window washer is injured due to another person’s negligence, New York law allows for the recovery of various types of damages. These cover both the direct financial costs and the indirect serious impact on your life.
- Economic Damages: These are quantifiable financial losses.
- Medical Expenses: Coverage for all past, present, and future medical treatments, including hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy, medications, and necessary medical equipment.
- Lost Wages and Earning Capacity: Compensation for income lost during your recovery, as well as for any reduction in your ability to earn money in the future due to permanent injury or disability.
- Vocational Rehabilitation: Costs associated with retraining or education if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous profession.
- Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Other accident-related costs, such as transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, or assistive care.
- Non-Economic Damages: These address the intangible, non-monetary, but very real losses that affect your quality of life.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical pain, discomfort, and mental anguish caused by your injuries.
- Emotional Distress: Damages for psychological trauma, anxiety, depression, or PTSD resulting from the accident.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Compensation for your diminished ability to participate in hobbies, daily activities, and enjoy life as you did before the accident.
- Disfigurement: Damages for any permanent scarring or physical changes that impact your appearance and self-esteem.
Our window washing accident lawyers in NYC will calculate all your past, present, and future damages to ensure we demand the full compensation you are legally entitled to.
NYC Window Washing Accident Lawyer FAQs
What should I do immediately after a window washing accident?
First, seek immediate medical attention, even if injuries seem minor, as some severe conditions may have delayed symptoms. Then, if safely possible, document the scene by taking photos or videos of the equipment, the hazardous conditions, and your visible injuries. Report the accident to your supervisor or employer and ensure it is formally documented. Most importantly, contact an experienced New York window washing accident lawyer as soon as possible, as early legal intervention can significantly strengthen your claim.
Can I sue if I am already receiving workers’ compensation benefits?
Yes, in many cases, window washers can pursue both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit. Workers’ compensation provides benefits for medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, generally regardless of fault, but it typically prevents you from suing your direct employer. A personal injury lawsuit, however, targets negligent third parties, such as the building owner, property manager, general contractor, or equipment manufacturer that caused your accident. This type of lawsuit allows for recovery of a broader range of damages, including pain and suffering, which workers’ compensation does not cover.
What if I am an undocumented worker injured in a window washing accident?
In New York, your immigration status does not prevent you from pursuing a personal injury claim for a window washing accident. New York law protects all workers who are injured due to negligence on the job, regardless of their immigration status. Our firm has experience representing undocumented laborers, and our Spanish-speaking staff is ready to assist you in understanding your rights and fighting for the compensation you deserve. Hablamos español y estamos aquí para ayudarle.
How long do I have to file a window washing accident claim in New York?
There are strict statutes of limitations for filing personal injury claims in New York. Generally, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, for wrongful death claims, the statute of limitations is typically two years from the date of death. It is crucial to contact an attorney as soon as possible after your accident to ensure all critical deadlines are met and your right to pursue compensation is preserved.
Trust Hach & Rose, LLP to Be Your Champion After a Window Washing Accident in NYC
A window washing accident in New York City can instantaneously shatter a career and lead to profound, lasting injuries, expensive medical bills, and significant lost income. You need a legal team with the knowledge, experience, and tenacity to stand up for your rights and pursue the full compensation you are rightfully owed.
At Hach & Rose, LLP, our mission is unequivocally clear: to empower injured window washers to rebuild their lives. We take on every intricate detail of your case to allow you to dedicate your energy to physical and emotional recovery. With our proven track record of securing multimillion-dollar results, our deep understanding of New York Labor Laws, and our steadfast commitment to client success, you can feel confident that your claim rests in exceptionally capable hands.
Contact Hach & Rose, LLP, today for a free and confidential consultation with an experienced window washing accident lawyer in NYC. Call us now at (212) 779-0057 or complete our secure online contact form. We will fight tirelessly to secure the compensation and justice you deserve.