One worker killed, one injured in Fort Greene, Brooklyn building collapse

Construction collapse injury attorneys announce that just after 9 a.m. on Monday, the third floor of a building under construction at 227 Carlton Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY collapsed. The floor had already been loaded with four pallets of heavy cinder blocks. And when a fifth pallet was loaded by machine onto the floor, the entire third floor gave way, sending workers tumbling into the basement below in a fatal building collapse in Brooklyn.

Two construction workers managed to jump to safety on to an adjoining building. Another startled worker hung suspended over the disaster until he was able to pull himself to safety. Two construction workers fell and ended up trapped under debris in the basement. NYC firefighters took nearly half an hour to free them. One worker, 67, died in the third floor collapse. The other worker received transport to Kings County Hospital for his injuries.

The New York City Buildings Commissioner said that the floor onto which the many pallets of heavy cinder blocks had been piled was not structurally stable. The partially constructed floor evidently could not bear the massive weight piled on it, which resulted in the fatal building collapse in Brooklyn.

Our construction collapse injury attorneys warn that knowledgeable builders and building designers caution against piling building materials on to roofs or floors still under construction. Designers have usually not calculated the need to bear such heavy loads into their structural supports.

The Brooklyn building that collapsed had been intended to reach four stories. It was part of the Carlton Mews complex being built by Professional Grade Construction of Brooklyn. The building project had already received at least one violation back in July when it first began excavation for the construction. Investigators are sorting through the debris to determine precise cause of Monday’s fatal building collapse in Brooklyn. (Source: Michael Kirby Smith, New York Times, 9/10/12)

The experienced construction collapse injury attorneys at Denena & Points have handled more than their share of devastating building collapse injury cases and have the utmost sympathy for the grieving family members and friends of the fatally injured worker. Our hearts also go out to the other workers injured and traumatized in the sudden third floor collapse in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Fort Greene and other nearby areas of Brooklyn, close to the fashionable neighborhood of Park Slope, have been experiencing growth and revitalization. Our construction collapse injury attorneys were saddened to read of the fatal building collapse in Brooklyn from the construction of the new apartments. We hope that other builders will note the causes of the collapse as determined by the Department of Buildings and take appropriate safety precautions to avoid further needless, deadly accidents.

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