Worker hurt in scaffold fall settles for $3 million before trial

Key facts

Settlement

$3 million, reached before trial

Plaintiff's lawyers

Chaikin Trial Group, led by Ian Chaikin and Mehmet Gokce

Alleged defects

No required safety railings, missing cross-brace, wheel pins not attached

Injuries

Surgeries on right shoulder, left foot and ankle, right knee and left shoulder

Defendants

Not disclosed; described as parties responsible for the construction site

Date and location of fall

Not disclosed

Reported by

amNY, October 15, 2026

What it means

The highlights

1. Lawyers said the scaffold lacked railings, a cross-brace and attached wheel pins.
2. He had surgery on both shoulders, his right knee and his left foot and ankle.
3. The defendants and the date and location of the fall were not disclosed.

Why it matters Landlords

Owners who bring contractors onto their buildings can face costly claims when scaffolds lack basic safety features.

What to do: Confirm that any scaffold on your property has railings, bracing and secured wheel pins.

Not known yet

• Who the defendants were, including whether a property owner was named
• Where and when the fall happened
• Whether the site was a residential building
• Whether OSHA or the NYC Department of Buildings cited anyone over the scaffold

Background

In New York, scaffolds and other elevated work are covered by state Labor Law Section 240, often called the Scaffold Law, which can make property owners and contractors responsible when a worker is hurt in a fall because proper safety devices were not provided. Federal OSHA sets scaffold safety standards for construction, covering how scaffolds are built and equipped and how workers are trained. In New York City, the Department of Buildings also regulates scaffolds and sidewalk sheds on building projects.