Letter: Consider Scaffold Law in Bills Stadium Cost

The new Bills stadium deal marks an excellent time to review the reasons that New York State is such an expensive place to build.

The new stadium deal announced earlier this week comes with a price tag of $850 million. The steep cost has many asking questions about the value of the deal. What is known, however, is the cost of the stadium is increased by New York’s outdated Scaffold Law.

The absolute liability of the Scaffold Law is a product of the 19th century, where building the New York City skyline resulted in horrendous injuries and fatalities. We have come a long way since then. Every other state has scrapped their absolute liability laws, many did so in the 1920s in favor of workers compensation. New York is the only state that applies both absolute liability and workers compensation on builders and property owners.

The cost of the Scaffold Law is passed on to taxpayers and businesses through insurance premiums that are 300% to 1200% more than the average. In 2013, it was reported that the Scaffold Law was responsible for a $380,000 increase in a Thruway rehab project, and an estimated $400 million increase in the cost of building the Tappan Zee Bridge.

New York should change the Scaffold Law by removing absolute responsibility for employers, just as every other state has done. By changing the law, Buffaloians can both enjoy Bills’ football and spend the savings on other projects for the public good.

Jacob Lewis

Legal intern

Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York