Construction Liability Claims

In serious injuries or fatalities on construction sites, the Department of Labor sends investigators to determine what cause the incident. The rules of this agency and the regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are well documented and known by most in the construction industry. However, in the State of New York, the building owner, general contractor and/or a myriad of other organizations are also made part of the litigation. The role of the Forensic Engineer quite often, is to review all contracts and documents as well as all safety regulations and procedures, and means and methods of construction to explain to and prepare the attorney involved with a description of the events in layman's terms. Jargon and the names of various operations and equipment are unique to the construction world. To the non-construction individual, the terminology may convey an impression of chaos, but to the career construction worker, the verbiage is not only understandable but conveys the exact directions needed to complete the operation.

For over 25 years, Wallace J Ochterski, P.E. has routinely been present on construction sites for highways, expressways, utility lines, bridges and buildings. His understanding of the limitations of equipment and human interaction has prepared him well for investigating claims on construction sites.

In the past four years, Mr. Ochterski has worked on numerous different construction claim cases:

• Scaffold failure
• Floor opening
• Insufficient railing
• Jack failure
• Back injury due to uneven lift
• Ladder setup on improper angle
• Ladder failure due to improper bracing
• Crane lift and rigging mechanics
• Obstructions on path of travel
• Injury due to air gauge failure