From the NY Times:Three illegal immigrants injured in construction accidents in New York were awarded settlements totaling $3.85 million in the past two weeks, lawyers said on Wednesday.
Lawyers representing the three men said that the settlements demonstrated that illegal workers should not be afraid to sue their employers if they are hurt on the job.
The largest award went to a 33-year-old Mexican plumber who was injured by an exploding pipe at 44 Wall Street in Manhattan in December 2004. The man, who was scalded over large portions of his body, settled his damage claim for $2.5 million. The defendants in the case were 44 Wall Owner L.L.C. and Swig Equities, L.L.C.
A spokesman for 44 Wall Owner L.L.C. had no direct comment on the settlement and said that the company had hired a contractor for the job in question and that the injured man worked for the contractor.
Like the other two men who received compensation, the plumber did not want his name published for fear of endangering his family in Mexico.
The second largest settlement went to a 52-year-old Mexican who was injured when a steel beam fell on his foot at 130 Fulton Street in Manhattan on Jan. 30, 2004. The man, a union member, settled with F.J. Sciame Construction Company and Beway Realty Corporation for $750,000. F.J. Sciame Construction Company did not return calls for comment.
The third worker who received compensation was a 36-year-old Ecuadorean, who was injured while working on a roofing job at the Arverne by the Sea residential development in Queens. He sustained a fractured hip and other injuries when three tresses, each weighing 200 pounds, collapsed on him on Aug. 14, 2007.
Ultimately he settled his case for $600,000. The defendants were Rockaway Beach Boulevard Construction Company, New Visions Construction Corporation, Benjamin Beechwood Breakers L.L.C. and Benjamin Beechwood Ocean Way L.L.C.
Two questions:
1) Illegal aliens can join unions? Must have stolen someone else's social security number. Why no prosecution?
2) Arverne by the Sea was built by non-union, illegal labor? And the tweeders pictured broke ground for it?
Photo from Rockaway Wave
26 comments:
You got questions..I have a few too.
The Mexican plumber was scalded by live steam, suffered hideous pain and permanent disfigurement. He probably won't be able to work again. Is he not entitled to the same remedy as any other human being?
The 52-year-old Mexican whose foot was crushed, is he not entitled to take the same legal action as anyone else in similar circumstances?
None of these are cases of welfare bums or derelicts who fall off a subway platform in a drunken stupor and sue for millions.
Regardless of race or status, these people have had their lives permanently degraded while doing honest work for an employer.
BTW: Lawyers in this sort of case typically get at least 30%.
Did I say they weren't or shouldn't be entitled to it? The law says they are.
You folks make me laugh sometimes.
I agree with "Lino" totally in this regard ...but it costs us taxpayers money, in one form or another in the end, to have illegal non-union workers on the job.
In this case I'm glad my share of tax money (whatever) went to these guys who suffer terribly!
Let that be a warning...next door neighbor of mine...that undocumented Salvadoran worker you've hired to fix your roof (on the cheap) could wind up owning your home if he takes a fall!
Penny wise...pound foolish!
ok they're entitled to receive for their pain in suffering. but my question is why isn't ICE coming in with the IRS and asking for the back taxes they owe to the USA first. then deport them back to their countries to live out the rest of their lives. I also agree with the last statement if they fall off your house they'll be owning it.
wake up already!
Employers beware; they may be willing to do the work Americans won't do for such lousy wages, but they will certainly sue just as quickly as any American.
The law requires an employer to hire an employee if he has provided 2 specific ID documents that prove citizenship or legal alien residency.
A company hiring a contractor who provides own labor, should scrutinize legality of those workers being provided for the project.
In all fairness an employer is responsible for the saftey of the work site, insurance etc to cover injury to workers.
To counteract the confidence of a worker laboring on a high risk site to obtain employment illegally via false papers or pay to work situations - if an injury award in the event of an injury on a job site to an employee or contract laborer - can only be obtained by a legal alien resident w/green card or naturalized citizen.
The money awarded for an injury otherwise would be pooled into a fund that pays medical costs only for hospitals across the city already burdened by non=paying illegal immigrants.
Ultimately a well funded builder/developer has this potential cost built into the cost of the project. If he does not incur the cost by the completion of the project, he profits handsomely or comes in under budget for his investors.
The law should act harshly for those developers whom practice this, with penalties of seizure of the property and developer Co assets.
Sorry illegals - your risk to come here and work is continual risk without recourse and rights. Your countrymen whom are here legally have no sympathy for your situation nor do others whom did so in a mostly painful, long process and costly way to obtain legal residency. Our country was built by immigrants from all corners of the earth by abiding by the rules, waiting their turn, dying for their new country.
Workman's Comp is the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the worker. I have permanent injuries to my knees and ankles that were never properly rehabbed because Workman's Comp dragged out approval until the prescription ran out.
If these Mexicans get the right lawyer, they are in an even better situation than Americans because they are not barred from suits since they are not covered by Workman's Comp.
I hope all the injured illegals sue the crap out of their crooked employers. Unionized American help will look good fast.
THEIR IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN IN AMERICA. Give it up. We lose.
Remember the old Fram oil filter tv ad? PAY ME NOW,OR PAY ME LATER
I-9 form?
As long as the employer who employed the illegal (and I stress illegal) alien pays and not me....I don't care.
I don't want to pay for the illegal alien's medical or social security disability benefits. And I stress DON'T WANT TO PAY!
Un-believable! If they are here illegally how are they licensed and trained to do these jobs? They should never have been put in these positions in the first place. The boss that hired them should be arrested for negligence. His/Her bad decision to hire these people have now not only caused pain and suffering of these people but caused Millions of dollars to be lost.
Don't get me wrong I feel bad that they were hurt but come on!
No, they never should have been hired, and the buildings they put up will be falling around our heads for the next twenty years.
That being said, let the greedballs who short-circuited American law and brought in untrained and unqualified help while master carpenters and electricians rot unhired see all their erstwhile profits vanish in a big puff of smoke.
Perhaps the Mexican and Salvadoran taxpayers should be paying for their citizens' work-related injuries? After all, their wages go to those countries anyway, in the form of remittances.
"If these Mexicans get the right lawyer, they are in an even better situation than Americans because they are not barred from suits since they are not covered by Workman's Comp."
Everybody who works is covered by Workers' Comp., even if the emploer doesn't have a policy.
I don't want to pay for the illegal alien's medical or social security disability benefits. And I stress DON'T WANT TO PAY!
NO ONE DOES - BUT INDIRECTLY YOU DO REGARDLESS.
Ilegals w/ their families are receiving free medical care (no question - no money) at all NYC hospitals. Receive free schooling through college, food stamps and pay zero taxes on average $10 hr pay. If they become homeless they go to city shelters, otherwise live in illegally carved up single family homes, create crime, use park space, take up room in subways create much garbage, join organized gangs - all of this cost you and all us citizens big time taxes.
Crappy in this post (June 20): "Illegal aliens can join unions?"
Crappy on June 18: "The unions now accept illegals."
Having a senior moment? You folks make me laugh sometimes.
That's because I load the threads to post automatically in the future and had therefore read the story much earlier than it was posted.
Glad that made you laugh.
If you had checked the date of the story, it was 6/17, which is when I assumed Crapper read it. So it is not inconsistent. But people with their own agendas are always looking to discredit others.
Thanks for your dedication to this blog, Crapper.
But people with their own agendas are always looking to discredit others.
So, Einstein, what's my agenda?
Pro-illegal immigrant, obviously.
To whom it may concern: simple, they are entitled to NOTHING...No need for rational dialog..This is an open and closed case.
any of you who actually feel sorry for these people should leave our country now, you are all traitors, for supporting illegal aliens who are no different than any other foreigner who would illegally invade our country.
These useless pieces of trash ruin us through costing tax payers money for their jail time, their anchor babies, and the victims of the crimes they commit while they're here. They ARE NOT ENTITLED to receive payment for their injuries. Wanna know why? Because if they weren't here illegally in the first place, they would not have been injured. I don't care how messed up their countries our, the USA had to start somewhere, so they should do it in their foreign land or do like other law abiding people do, get in line!!!!!!! This makes me sick to my stomach. I don't know what's worse, them or those that actually think they deserve payment.
Here's a metaphor for you bleeding heart morons. A person drinks and drives. An old lady runs through a red light and collides with the drunk who had the green light. So, by your retarded logic, the drunk driver who had NO PERMISSION to be on the road, and would not have been hit if they weren't BREAKING THE LAW, should sue the old lady who went through the red light?
You people are a disgrace to my country
This is just insane. Im sick to my stomach. This country is being flushed down the Sh*t hole... Wow,
I'm a coal miner I just about tore my hand off in the mine. I got four thousand compensation. Why are they getting so much more.
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