Why New York's Work Site Safety Laws Target Developers

Leaving aside the question of how Thomas Huang, a developer with such an extraordinarily long history of gross negligence and disregard for worker safety could be repeatedly allowed to build in New York (frankly, I cannot even begin to imagine how this was allowed by New York City's Department of Buildings), the tragic worksite accident at his Elmhurst site last week highlights the reasoning behind the legislature's decision to impose strict liabilty upon the developers and owners of work sites because they are in the best position to guarantee worker safety. (For additional information on this topic, please see "How to Prove a Construction Site Accident Case in New York" and "Construction Site Injuries and New York's Labor Laws").

And, from a brief look at Mr. Huang's history, it appears that hitting him in his wallet is the only thing that might induce him to comply with New York's construction worker safety statutes.