After Midtown Collapse, Gorayeb & Associates Points to Safety Violations and Missed Warnings on NYC Sites
Gorayeb & Associates, P.C.
On July 7, 2026, structural support columns buckled on the 21st floor of the 37 story building at 235 East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, forcing the evacuation of at least nine neighboring buildings and freezing several city blocks, according to city officials. All workers were accounted for and no injuries were reported. Gorayeb & Associates, P.C., a New York personal injury law firm representing injured construction workers since 1986, says the near catastrophe was preceded by a documented trail of warnings that the current enforcement system is not built to act on.
The warning signs were on the record. Department of Buildings complaint files reported by WABC show roughly two dozen complaints at the site since last year. Records obtained by The City Reporter show that by July 9, inspectors had issued 17 violations carrying more than $90,000 in penalties against the project's two contracting entities, 219 GC LLC and 235 GC LLC, none of which had been paid. The same reporting identified at least 12 worker injuries alleged in lawsuits since May 2025, nine of which were never reported to the agency as city rules require.
"The math tells the story. $90,000 in penalties on a $700 million project," said Jay Nelson Gorayeb, attorney at Gorayeb & Associates. "Contractors budget for fines the way they budget for lumber. An LLC gets formed weeks before permits issue, construction starts, and when someone gets hurt there is often no one of substance to hold accountable."
According to the firm's account published in amNewYork, an immigrant laborer at 219 East 42nd Street, part of the same conversion project, was struck by falling debris three weeks before the buckling, placed in a cervical collar by EMS, and transported to NYU Langone Hospital. The Department of Buildings issued a stop work order on June 16 and cited obstructed egress and a failure to maintain housekeeping. The order was later lifted and work resumed.
The project, described by developer Metro Loft as a 1.3 million square foot conversion spanning 219 through 235 East 42nd Street with approximately 1,600 apartments, is what the developer calls the largest office to residential conversion in city history. The firm notes that workers on sites like these are often immigrants who fear losing their jobs if they report unsafe conditions.
"Workers hurt on these sites should document the scene, get medical care, and speak with a lawyer before the stop work order lifts," Gorayeb added. "New York passed the original scaffold law in 1885, and today it stands as Labor Law 240. It puts responsibility on the owners and contractors who control the site. Immigrant workers have the same rights under that statute as anyone else, regardless of status."
About Gorayeb & Associates, P.C.
Founded in 1986 by Christopher J. Gorayeb, Gorayeb & Associates, P.C. is one of New York's leading personal injury law firms for injured construction workers. Known as The People's Lawyers, the firm has recovered more than $2 billion for over 12,000 injured workers and provides bilingual representation in English and Spanish. Learn more at www.gorayeb.com or call 212.267.2100.
Address is 100 William St 19th Floor, New York, NY 10038
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