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A 14-year-old boy was left with a horrifying head wound so severe that his skull was visible after a chunk of concrete broke free from a Queens building and slammed into him as he walked down the street with his family, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
The shocking incident unfolded on May 30 in Jackson Heights, when what should have been a routine family outing turned into a race for medical help after debris came crashing down from above and struck the teenager in the head.
Now, as the boy continues to battle lingering health problems, his family has launched legal action against the company they allege failed to properly maintain the building.
The teen's parents, who asked not to be identified because of concerns related to their immigration status, say they were walking along 82nd Street between Roosevelt and 37th avenues on a windy afternoon when disaster struck without warning.
According to the family, a heavy piece of concrete suddenly plummeted from the facade of a nearby building and hit their son. The impact left a deep gash in the boy's head.
'You could see his skull, and I was desperate,' the boy's mother said in Spanish to CBS News while recalling the terrifying moments after the strike.
Graphic images taken after the incident show the teenager with a severe wound across his scalp. His mother said the injury required eight staples to close.
The teenager, who is a twin, survived the ordeal but his family says the effects have lingered long after the blood was cleaned up.
A 14-year-old boy was struck in the head by falling building debris in Jackson Heights, Queens, on May 30. The incident happened on 82nd Street between Roosevelt and 37th avenues
The teenager was walking with his family when the piece of concrete fell. His mother said the injury was so severe that his skull could be seen
Investigators said the debris bounced off a store awning before hitting the teen
According to the parents, he has missed school, struggled to chew food and has continued to experience headaches and vision problems in the weeks since the incident.
Investigators with the New York City Department of Buildings later determined that part of the building's decorative terracotta facade had come loose.
Officials said the material fell from the structure, bounced off a store awning below and then struck the teen.
The findings intensified questions about the condition of the building and whether the accident could have been avoided.
The Department of Buildings subsequently issued a violation to the building owner for failing to properly maintain the facade, according to officials.
Since the incident, scaffolding has been erected around the area as a safety precaution.
The family's attorney, Dan Smyth, argues the consequences could have been far worse.
'I feel strongly that if the stone landed an inch closer to the center of his head, he might have been killed,' Smyth said to CBS News.
The emergency services were quickly on the scene to aide in the teens rescue
The boy required eight staples to close the wound on his head
Department of Buildings inspectors determined decorative terracotta had come loose from the building
Scaffolding has since been installed around the building following the incident
Smyth has filed a lawsuit against Redman Associates, Inc., accusing the company of neglect and alleging that proper maintenance could have prevented the frightening incident.
'Regardless of whether it's landmarked or not, the building wasn't properly maintained if this incident occurred,' Smyth said.
The family believes the accident was entirely preventable and hopes the lawsuit will force property owners to take building maintenance more seriously before another pedestrian is hurt.
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