The family of a man who died after being crushed by an illegal, makeshift pulley-system in Brooklyn last week is preparing to file a lawsuit, attorney Mark Bernstein said Thursday.
Young-Kil Sim, a father of two from Queens, was delivering shopping bags to the basement of KP Farm Market on Nostrand Avenue in East Flatbush on April 2 when the jury-rigged elevator, operated by two workers, came down onto his head, according to Bernstein and city officials.
Sim, 62, was pronounced dead at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County.
A preliminary investigation by the Department of Buildings revealed the pulley-system was installed between the basement and the first floor illegally. A spokesman for the agency said they were never made aware of the contraption.
“This horrific accident happened only because these businesses cut corners to save money and installed a lethal hoist mechanism,” Bernstein said. “Mr. Sim was tragically killed because of their cost-cutting negligence and we will hold them responsible in court.”
Sim’s wife was waiting for him outside of KP Farm Market when the deadly incident occurred, according to Bernstein. Someone went out and brought her down to the basement, he said, where she witnessed her husband’s head being crushed by the hoist platform.
“His family is absolutely devastated,” Bernstein added. “We want to help Mr. Sim’s wife and two children and send a message to everyone that this type of business practice is unacceptable.”
The law firm Sanders & Kim PLLC is preparing to file a lawsuit against the building’s owner and KP Farm Market, which leases the space, citing negligence that resulted in the wrongful death of Sim. The suit will move forward after a court appoints someone to control Sim’s estate, Bernstein said.
