State workers’ compensation systems started popping up around 1910. Back then, the Grand Bargain between workers and management was a good deal for job injury victims. True, these victims gave up their right to sue in court. However, in exchange, management promised to provide a no-fault insurance policy that covered economic losses. That’s a pretty […]
Since COVID lockdowns ended, the residential and commercial construction industries have been busier, and more competitive, than ever. To many bosses, a few dollars saved or spent often makes the difference between losing and making money on a particular job. As workplaces become more hazardous, workers’ compensation settlements have increased, to over $40,000 per claim […]
Statistically, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has done a bang-up job protecting worker safety, especially since this agency, which is one of the smallest in the federal government, has such limited resources. Since 1970, just before a federal law created OSHA, the number of fatal workplace accidents has dropped over 50 percent. The number […]
Usually, political bickering in Albany involves New York’s controversial scaffolding law. This time, it involves an obscure piece of legislation which, depending on who you listen to, would either put good people out of work or protect individuals like 22-year-old Carlos Moncayo. In 2015, several thousand pounds of dirt literally buried Moncayo alive as he […]
When the Empire State Building was completed in 1930, it was basically a combination of One Trade Center and the Dubai Tower. It wasn’t just the tallest and most iconic structure in the Big Apple. It had worldwide fame. Officials reported five worker deaths during its construction. The rumored total is that one worker died […]