New York gives injured construction workers some of the strongest legal protections in the country — protections that exist on top of workers' compensation, not instead of it. If you were hurt on a job site, you may have a claim against the owner and general contractor that pays what comp never will.
New York's Labor Law Protects You
Every construction accidents matter is different — these are the situations we see most, and how we approach them.
Scaffold collapses, ladder falls, falls through unguarded openings, and missing harness or tie-off points. New York's “Scaffold Law” places absolute responsibility on owners and general contractors for gravity-related injuries — one of the most powerful statutes in American injury law.
Tools, materials, and debris dropped from above; loads that slip from hoists and cranes. When a falling object should have been secured, §240 liability can attach without proving anyone's carelessness in the ordinary sense.
Slippery or debris-strewn passageways, inadequate lighting, unguarded machinery, trench and excavation hazards. Violations of New York's Industrial Code give injured workers a separate statutory claim against the owner and GC.
Power tools without guards, malfunctioning lifts and hoists, crane and forklift accidents, electrocutions. These cases often add product-liability claims against the equipment's manufacturer to the Labor Law claims against the site.
Your immigration status does not affect your right to bring a Labor Law claim, and your employer cannot lawfully retaliate against you for asserting it. We represent every injured worker with the same force.
What You Should Know
Workers' compensation pays a fraction of your losses and nothing for pain and suffering. The Labor Law claim against the site's owner and general contractor — separate from comp — is where injured workers recover their real damages. You can pursue both at once.
Construction sites are rebuilt daily. The broken scaffold gets repaired, the debris gets cleared, the witnesses scatter to other jobs. The sooner we're retained, the sooner we can photograph, demand preservation, and lock in testimony.
Under §240, comparative fault is generally not a defense — a worker's own alleged carelessness usually does not reduce the recovery. Insurers hope you never learn this.
A word about deadlines: every claim carries a statute of limitations, and some — especially claims involving government entities — require formal notice within months of the incident. Nothing on this page is legal advice for your situation; the only safe course is to have your case reviewed promptly.
Get Started Today
If you or a family member was hurt on a job site anywhere in New York or New Jersey, talk to us before you talk to the insurance carrier.
Start Your Free Case Intake Call (718) 444-WOLFPersonal Injury