Dennis Sherwood Staten Island: Sandy Hook Pilots Captain Dennis Sherwood Killed In Staten Island Ladder Fall Accident At Ambrose Pilot’s Station While Boarding Boat Near Brooklyn
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK (December 31, 2019) – Sandy Hook Pilot Captain Dennis Sherwood has tragically died in a ladder fall accident while trying to board a boat at the Ambrose Pilot’s Station.
New York Police Department officials are saying that the vessel involved in the accident was docked between Staten Island and Brooklyn. Dennis Sherwood was climbing from a pilot boat to the deck of a Maersk Kensington merchant ship.
For reasons that remain under investigation Dennis Sherwood fell from a ladder around 4:30 a.m. back onto the pilot boat. Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the victim.
The victim was transported to the Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton in order to receive treatment. Despite life-saving measures he later died due to his injuries.
An investigation into the ladder fall accident remains ongoing at this time.
Liability In Staten Island Ladder Fall Accidents
Falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death in New York City. According to OSHA, “Out of 4,779 worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2018, 1,008 or 21.1% were in construction — that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction. The leading causes of private sector worker deaths (excluding highway collisions) in the construction industry were falls, followed by struck by object, electrocution, and caught-in/between.” Employers are supposed to do everything in their power to help keep workers safe from ladder falls.
General contractors are held strictly liable when workers are injured in fall accidents. According to New York Labor Law 240(1) companies must take measures to help prevent workers from being injured in fall accidents. This includes incidents when a worker falls or is struck by a falling object. There are many OSHA regulations with respect to proper ladder safety. For example, when a worker is elevated higher than 10 feet off the ground the ladder in question must be secured at its upper and lower end.
The family of any victim that died in a ladder fall accident may have legal recourse through a wrongful death claim. Damages in a wrongful death claim may include lost wages, medical bills, funeral expenses and pain and suffering. Beneficiaries in a civil claim will typically include a victim’s spouse, children, siblings or parents. It’s important that evidence is properly preserved and collected after an accident. A personal injury attorney can investigate all of the facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal rights are.
Investigating A Staten Island Ladder Fall Accident
We at Pulvers, Pulvers & Thompson extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dennis Sherwood. Any person that may have seen what happened should reach out to OSHA as they continue their investigation. It is our sincere hope that measures are put in place to prevent additional accidents like this. No family should ever have to go through something like this. Safety should always be the number one priority for every company.
