New York contract employees who are working in the current gig economy may want to learn more about the industrial dangers involved, as noted in a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and featured in CBS News. Even though workers’ compensation is available in certain circumstances, learning about the potential hazards of a particular task or industry may help in avoiding accidents. When on-the-job accidents occur, attorney Michael B. Palillo understands how injuries and fatalities may be devastating to you or your family regardless of the employment situation.
Data compiled by the U.S. government shows that accidents on escalators and elevators at construction sites have more than doubled between 2015 and 2018. The study also revealed that positions in the transportation and construction industries had the highest rate of workplace deaths and injuries. This increase may be a result of companies hiring less-experienced contractors, who are sometimes called “gig workers,” and then not training them properly.
It is estimated that there are 75 million Americans currently working as gig employees who move from one job to the next once their work at a company is completed. Employers may incorrectly expect that these workers are already trained or that they are experienced in carrying out all the requirements of their new job safely. While some companies might believe that expenses are saved by cutting the budget for properly training people, it may end up costing them more when a worker is seriously injured or killed.
A gig worker in New York City or any of the five boroughs, Long Island or Westchester who is injured on the job may be entitled to financial assistance in recovery. Our page on workers’ compensation provides more information on some benefits that may be available to you.
