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Worker’s family sues Midtown hotel project over May death
Family of Christian Ginesi claims faulty equipment at Riu Hotel development
The family of a construction worker who died earlier this year at the site of a new luxury hotel in Midtown is suing several companies involved in the project, claiming the death was avoidable had the development followed labor laws and building code regulations.
The lawsuit claims Mallorca-based Riu Hotels & Resorts and supervising contractor the Rinaldi Group failed to provide necessary safety oversight at 301 West 46th Street, which is slated to house the 29-story Riu Hotel Times Square.
Christian Ginesi, 25, died May 5 after falling 24 stories down an elevator shaft at the site. City officials said Ginesi attempted to leap from a broken lift that was stuck between floors when he fell to his death, according to the New York Post.
The companies are alleged to have allowed construction of the luxury hotel to continue despite“defective and exposed” electrical wiring on temporary hoists that suffered from “worn out” flexible cords, the lawsuit claims.
Ginesi’s passing is among several at job sites across the city this year. On Tuesday, a 30-year-old construction worker died after falling four stories at the Friedman Group and Landis Group’s hotel development site at 400 West 42nd Street. [NYP] – Rey Mashayekhi