In New York City schools, the people that run the heating and cooling systems are known as firemen. This comes from the fact that school boilers used to be heated by coal, and the firemen would shovel it into a furnace for power. Although firemen work in city schools, they are employed by school custodians. The school custodians receive a budget from the New York City Board of Education to pay their staff. Since the fireman and staff of the custodian are not employed by the New York City or the Board of Education, these employees retain the right to bring a lawsuit for dangerous conditions in schools that cause injuries.
School Workers can Bring Compensation Claims
Many attorneys and laypeople alike operate under the mistaken impression that these school workers can only bring worker’s compensation claims. Many also do not realize that a notice of claim must be filed against the City of New York and the Board of Education within 90 days of the accident date, or the school employees’ right to bring a claim could be lost forever.
Call Our Personal Injury Lawyers
Recently we have successfully resolved two cases on behalf of injured firemen. One was when a man fell from a poorly constructed ladder. As a result of this accident, he recovered over two million dollars when his case was settled during trial. We also recently settled a case for one million five hundred thousand dollars for a fireman who suffered third-degree burns due to a defective float on a sump pump. To learn more, contact Hach & Rose, LLP, today by calling (212) 779-0057.