If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a New York or Long Island construction or scaffolding accident, you may be able to recover compensation. A New York construction accident and injury lawyer from Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. can help you get it.
Construction accident injuries can be devastating. We want to help you recover the compensation you need. Call us for a free case review with a member of our team in New York: 516-932-0400.
If you were injured in a construction accident in Long Island, please go to our Long Island construction accident page.
What to do when you get hurt on a construction site in Nassau or Suffolk County? An Infographic by Friedman & Simon
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For a free legal consultation with a construction accidents lawyer serving New York, call 516-932-0400
We Can Pursue a Construction Accident Case on Your Behalf
If you suffered injuries on a New York construction site, we will evaluate your claim, identify any liable parties, and fight for compensation on your behalf.
We represent clients injured in construction accidents including:
- Falls from scaffolding
- Falls from ladders or other elevated areas
- Slip and falls and trip and falls
- Electric shock and electrocutions
- Workers hit by falling debris or other items
- Getting caught in or in between equipment or materials
- Heavy machinery accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Building collapses
If you had a injury on Long Island, our Long Island Construction Accident Lawyers can help.
In many cases, a third party was negligent and caused or contributed to the accident. We investigate every accident and injury case we handle, collecting evidence to prove:
- Negligence
- Liability
- Your physical and emotional damages
- Your economic loss
With this evidence, we can build a case against the negligent party and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to get started: 516-932-0400.
Do I have a case?
If you sustained injuries in a construction accident, and you are thinking…
- I work off-the-books
- I am not a citizen
- My boss told me not to report the accident to anyone, or say it happened somewhere else
…Can I still have a case?
The short answer, in every situation described above, is yes. You may have a case.
If you work off-the-books, the law still allows you to bring a lawsuit for your injuries. If you have never worked on-the-books, you may still recover for your pain and suffering and your medical bills.
If you are not a citizen, or your immigration status is not valid, the law still recognizes your right to recover for your injuries.
If you didn’t report the accident, or your boss told you to say it happened someplace else, you are still entitled to recover damages for your injuries. We will work with you to help you explain your circumstances.
You have come to the right place for information and help.
We are ready to fight for you, and with our decades of experience, we know the best ways to go about winning the greatest amount of money possible for you.
For over 25 years, we at Friedman & Simon, LLP Injury Lawyer have won many millions of dollars for our injured clients. For many of our clients who suffered injuries in construction accidents, the money we have won for them has made all the difference in helping them rebuild their lives.
We have won large settlements and verdicts for workers injured in construction accidents who were working off-the-books, or who were not citizens, or who had bosses who tried to escape responsibility for an employee’s construction accident injuries by lying or directing others to lie about how or where the accident happened.
Please note, your communications with our office are held in confidence, so you can have complete peace of mind about your privacy.
Please also note, we only get paid if and when we win money for you, so there is no financial risk to you in working with us whatsoever.
Let us use our experience and dedication to win excellent results that work for you.
Call us now at (516) 800-8000 or complete and submit the form to the right and we will contact you promptly.
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you!
New York Construction Accident Lawyer Near Me 516-932-0400
Recoverable Damages in a Nassau or Suffolk County Construction Site Accident Case
Recoverable damages for a construction accident case may include:
Medical Treatment and Related Costs
- Ambulance transportation
- Emergency room treatment
- Laboratory tests, imaging scans, and other diagnostics
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Prescription medications
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Ongoing and/or future care costs
Other Economic Losses
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Loss of support
- Out-of-pocket costs related to your accident, injury, or treatment
Noneconomic Damages
- Pain and suffering damages
- Mental anguish
- Other emotional damages
Wrongful Death Damages
If your loved one died in a New York construction accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death case against any liable party we identify. Call us today to learn more about how we can help your family if you lost a family member in a New York construction site accident.
Click to contact our New York Personal Injury Lawyers today
Let Us Fight for the Payout You Deserve
New York laws allow us to pursue compensation from a property owner, general contractor, and subcontractor after a construction accident. For example, if a construction worker is injured by tripping on debris or scattered tools or materials in a work area, then the owner of the property and the general contractor may be held responsible for the accident.
Let us review the circumstances of your accident so we can identify any liable parties. Call us at 516-932-0400.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Call Us Today Before Time Runs Out
New York gives us a limited time to file a lawsuit. It is important to act quickly after you suffer injuries, so we can identify any negligent parties and hold them liable. Once the deadline passes, the court will bar us from taking any legal action.
Talk to a New York Construction Accident & Injury Lawyer
At Friedman & Simon, L.L.P., we are passionate advocates for the injured. We fight for the rights of injured construction workers in New York. We have a multilingual staff, allowing us to assist you in English, Spanish, Greek, Bengali, Tamil, or Kannada.
Call us today at 516-932-0400 to get started with your free case review and consultation.
New York Construction Accidents News
Accidental Construction Deaths See Highest Numbers In Years
The Construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries in New York. Through October of 2018, construction accidents and injuries had already outpaced year-end numbers recorded in 2017 and have increased each year since 2014. As of November 21st, 2018, these accidental fatalities were at 12, which is the same as the three previous years combined. City officials have adopted several measures to protect construction workers and prevent accidents. However, they are still occurring.
The Morning Call reports on the death of a construction worker at a New York construction site.
The accident happened on Saturday when a counterweight for a crane fell onto a worker at a site in lower Manhattan. This happened at about 3:15 a.m. on a building site on Varick and Broome Streets near the Holland Tunnel. Workers had been preparing the crane for the day’s work.
This is the third time in less than a week that a construction accident has claimed the life of a worker. The victim was 34-year-old Gregory Echevarria and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other workers were also injured.
Previous victims of construction accidents included 51-year-old Nelson Salinas, who was killed by falling debris last Monday as he was doing repairs to the façade of an apartment building on Manhattan’s east side.
23-year-old Erik Mendoza was working on the roof of a 13-story building in Brooklyn when he fell to his death last Wednesday.
The Buildings Department is investigating all three deaths.
Bricks Fall And Strike Pedestrians On 39th Street
Falling debris is a growing concern amid the construction boon in New York City. The city has already seen an increase in construction accidents this year compared with the same time frame last year. Falling debris can not only harm construction workers, but it can also strike and injure pedestrians. Failure to secure objects, provide a suitable barricade, insufficient signage, and failure to inspect loose objects can often result in a serious injury, and at times, be fatal. Both pedestrians and construction workers may be able to sue the construction company for injuries and damages caused by falling objects.
CBS Local New York reports on two pedestrians who had close calls when bricks fell from a building in Midtown.
Falling chunks of cement led to a portion of 39th Street being closed. Surveillance video caught a woman being wheeled off by paramedics after bricks came falling off of a high rise on 39th Street.
The woman was walking to work on 39th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue at around 9:30 a.m. This is when a cascade of bricks came tumbling down onto her from the 17th floor. She said that she felt something hit her, then pain, then heard people screaming to run. She was left with severe bruising and some lacerations. Another pedestrian, a male, also suffered from a leg injury due to the falling debris.
Officials say that the bricks were knocked loose by a suspended scaffolding, which somehow became loosened with two workers on top of it. The scaffolding has since been secured and the Department of Buildings is investigating the cause.
Brooklyn Ranks Second For DUI Crashes In The State
New York provides for two different charges when it comes to driving while intoxicated. The first is just a traffic offense called driving while ability impaired (DWAI). It is charged when a person has a blood-alcohol level of between 0.05% and 0.07%. It is not a criminal offense. However, for those with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08% and 0.17%, a misdemeanor DWI charge may be made. As with many states, repeat offenses increase the penalties. For a first time DWI that does not involve an accident, it is a misdemeanor charge. It has penalties that include a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail.
The Brooklyn, New York Patch reports that Brooklyn has the second-highest number of DUI crashes in the state.
A study conducted by TrafficTickets.com revealed that Kings County saw 405 impaired driving crashes where injuries occurred in 2018. This is the second-highest rate of any county in New York State.
Kings County was only surpassed by Suffolk County, which is frequented by tourists visiting Montauk, the Hamptons, and Robert Moses Beach. Suffolk County had 470 drug or alcohol-related crashes last year.
Coming in third place was Queens with 335 crashes in 2018.
While these numbers are concerning, it is actually an improvement from previous years statewide.
Across the state, impaired driving crashes dropped from 4,861 in 2017 to 4,647 in 2018. Additionally, the number of drunk driving citations was the lowest its been in 10 years.
Building Collapse In The Bronx Kills One Worker, Injures Five
The construction industry tops the charts as New York’s most deadly industry. More injuries in the industry were reported in 2018 than in any other year following the post-recession construction boom. When it comes to the fatalities, the Department of Buildings only tracks deaths that come as a direct result of a violation. In 2018, the number tracked by the DOB accounted for 12 cases. Deaths that were not connected to a violation of construction codes accounted for another 6, bringing the number of deaths much closer to 20. Construction accidents as a whole were 13% higher in 2018 than in 2017.
CBS Local New York reports that a worker was killed, and five others injured when a building that was under construction collapsed in the Bronx.
Investigators are working to determine what caused a construction accident that happened Tuesday in the Bronx.
One worker was killed, and five others were seriously injured in the accident. The building was located at 94 E. 208th Street in the Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx.
According to firefighters, just before noon, part of the structure came down on workers. The falling structure crushed one man and seriously injured others. FDNY Fire Chief John Esposito said that it appears the workers were working on the second floor when material fell from the third floor to the second floor.
City records indicate that the building under construction was a four-story, eight-unit housing complex. Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Buildings arrived on the scene to investigate.
Firefighters had to use ladders to access the second floor. They also had to construct shores and struts to keep the second floor from collapsing onto the first floor.
Construction Work One Of The Most Dangerous Industries, Has “Fatal Four” Accidents
According to the Occupational Health & Safety Administration, there were 5,147 workers killed on the job in 2017. This equates to, on average, 99 deaths per week, or more than 14 deaths per day. The highest percentage of deaths were seen in the construction industry, with 20.7%. The “fatal four” accidents in construction work include falls, struck by object, electrocution, and caught in/between. The highest percentage of deaths in the construction industry is caused by falls, followed by being struck by an object. OSHA estimates that if the “fatal four” construction accidents were eliminated; it could save 582 lives each year.
The Libertarian reports on the construction industry in New York and the need for an overhaul.
Many jobs give higher wages to those working in dangerous positions or industries. The construction industry is one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, but workers often receive little more than minimum wage. Early in January of 2019, council member Ben Kallos proposed a bill calling for the requirement of prevailing wages for construction workers who are developing projects which have received government subsidies. The bill also calls for classroom training as well as on-the-job training in accident prevention.
New York City’s most fatal occupation is construction. In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 20 fatalities. However, the NYC Department of Buildings reported only 12. Despite recently passed safety laws, preliminary numbers indicate that construction-related deaths rose in 2018.
Construction Worker Wins Record-Breaking Settlement
As many know, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration oversees workplaces and job sites to ensure it is a safe environment for employees. OSHA oversees construction sites as well and most accidents must be reported to the agency. OSHA has detailed that there are four causes of worker deaths on construction sites each year. They are called “the fatal four.” They are falls, which make up the majority of all construction site accidents; being struck by an object; electrocutions; and caught in or between an object. Pipes, ducts, and tubing along with wood and lumber were the materials that were most often the cause of an accident.
Real Estate Weekly Online reports that a construction worker has been awarded a record-setting settlement.
39-year-old Ricardo Tavares is a journeyman union construction worker. On a construction site in Brooklyn in 2016, Tavares was struck by a collapsed utility pole. The pole flung him 15 feet to the bottom of an excavation trench. The utility line and pole belonged to a landowner who was adjacent to the construction site.
Tavares’ employer, Perfetto Enterprises Company had been contracted to work on the Department of Environmental Protection project.
His attorney claimed that the city was liable for conduct that resembled gross negligence, carelessness, and recklessness. Tavares was not provided with a hazard-free workplace, adequate safety devices, and the protection from the hazards associated with excavation.
Tavares has been left paralyzed, wheelchair-bound, and has required extensive hospitalization. He has also had to undergo multiple surgeries and participate in rehabilitation since the accident.
In the largest settlement for a construction accident in the history of the city, Tavares has been awarded $36 million.
Despite Improvements, Amusement Park Safety Needs More Work
As the temperatures rise, schools let out, and families begin planning their summer vacations. Many of these vacations may involve trips to local or even far-flung amusement parks. While the rides can be a thrilling way to spend a day, they can also turn tragic. There is no federal oversight when it comes to the safety of amusement park rides. This is left to individual state agencies, who must inspect both stationary amusement parks and those that travel. While many parks are, indeed safe, and their rides are regularly inspected, some are saying that the agencies responsible for the inspection of rides lacks oversight, as SI Live reports.
In New York, amusement park rides are subject to initial inspection by the Department of Building’s Elevator Unit to ensure that safety protocols are being followed.
Although the number of spot inspections has increased and incidents on amusement rides have decreased, New York City’s Comptroller’s Office released an audit that suggested the agency suffers from “deficient oversight.”
The Department of Building’s Elevator Unit inspects the following kinds of amusement park rides:
- Permanent rides for long-term operation
- Truck-mounted movable rides
- Portable rides for short-term operation
- Inflatible rides
Every 120 days, permanent rides are supposed to receive an inspection. For portable rides, they must be inspected each time they are moved. They are also approved for no more than two weeks at a time. Since 2012, there have been 23 accidents on amusement park rides according to the DOB. Accidents result in a cease-use order until the ride can be inspected for safety.
Increased Numbers Of Construction Worker Deaths
The statistics surrounding construction site accidents are shocking. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), one in ten construction site workers is injured every year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that there are some 150,000 construction site accidents each year, falls were the leading cause of injury. Contact with equipment was also a significant cause of injury. Workers between the ages of 25 and 34 are the most likely to be involved in an accident on a construction site. 15% of all worker’s compensation claims are comprised of workers injured at construction sites.
CBS Local New York reports on the rise in New York City construction worker deaths.
Gaby Otoya lost her husband, a 66-year-old construction foreman in a construction site accident last September. He was working on a site on the Upper East Side. Otoya’s family joined thousands in St. Patrick’s Cathedral to mourn the 16 workers who died in construction site accidents in the past year.
According to the Bureau of Labor, construction is the deadliest industry in New York. There have been three deaths this month alone, including one worker who was crushed by a crane in SoHo. Another was killed by falling debris on Manhattan’s east side. Compared to five years ago, construction site deaths are up 33% and worksite injuries are up 221%.
There are roughly 45,000 construction sites in the city. About a quarter of them are not in compliance with safety standards set by the Department of Buildings.
At the current time, workers are only required to have 10 hours of safety training. By 2020, that number will go up to 40 hours. When inspectors find construction workers without the proper training, the property owner, the contractor, and the employer will be fined $5,000 each.
New Jersey Roller Coaster Launches Test Dummies
Amusement park accidents might seem rare but they’re actually more common than originally thought. The chances of being involved in an accident causing serious injury at an amusement park are 1 in 16 million according to the National Safety Council. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 2017, there were 29,400 emergency department visits related to amusement attractions. New York is one of 42 states that have a department dedicated to the inspection of amusement rides. Each ride is inspected before it can operate. This includes traveling amusement rides, which are inspected at each location.
Silive reports on a New Jersey Roller Coaster where two test dummies were tossed from the ride.
During a routine test on April 20th, two crash test dummies fell from a roller coaster at a New Jersey amusement park.
The two dummies fell from the GaleForce rollercoaster at Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City, New Jersey. They then landed on the roof of a nearby hotel, the Ebb Tide Suites.
Vice President of the amusement park Bryan Hartley claimed the issue was with the dummies, not the ride itself. According to Hartley, the dummies lost rigidity, causing them to slip from the restraints and fall from the rid, this loss of rigidity would not occur with a live person on the ride.
The ride is tested for about 2 hours each day and has not had an incident since April 20th. The New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs said that the GaleForce roller coaster received a permit for operation in 2019.
New Study Claims Drug Use Is High In The Construction Industry
According to the New York State Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction workers made up 27% of all work-related deaths. This figure is despite the fact that construction workers only make up 5% of the state’s workforce. Overall, New York’s work-related fatality rate is low compared to the national average, but when focused solely on the construction industry, it is higher than the national average. By February of 2019, the construction industry in New York has seen 82 construction accidents and 96 construction injuries. There is conflicting thought as to why construction sites are so dangerous, but a study contends that drug use among construction use is higher than other professions, the Global Construction Review reports.
A study that was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence analyzed 10 years of data to show that construction workers are the most likely of all occupations to use cocaine. They also take prescription opioids for non-medical use at a higher rate.
Danielle Ompad, associate professor of epidemiology at NYU College of Global Public health and the study’s lead author stated, “Construction workers are at an increased risk for drug use, which makes them vulnerable to work-related injuries or even overdose deaths.”
The study is backed up by recent studies in Ohio and Massachusetts that revealed construction workers were six to seven times more likely to die from an opioid overdose than other workers. The study analyzed 16,610 construction, extraction, and mining workers and compared those workers to people employed in other occupations.
Compared to all other professions, the construction workers who participated in the survey had the highest prevalence of misusing prescription opioids. They also had the highest prevalence of cocaine use. They also had the second highest prevalence of marijuana use.
NYC Construction Injuries Have Declined
Though the construction industry only makes up a small percentage of jobs available in the workforce, it routinely has a higher percentage of injuries on average. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, one in ten construction workers is injured every year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are about 150,000 construction site accident injuries every year.
Fall hazards are one of the leading causes of injury and death on construction sites. Contact with equipment was also a significant source of injury for construction workers. 15% of workers’ compensation costs go towards a worker who was injured while on a construction site. Thankfully, as the NY Daily News reports, construction injuries fell in New York City even as construction boomed.
During the first 10 months of the year, the city saw a quarter fewer construction injuries, even as a construction boom continued.
From January through October 2018, there were 672 construction injuries. This year, during the same time frame, there were only 507 injuries. This constitutes a 25% drop.
At the same time, the Department of Buildings issued the same number of construction permits.
While then number of injuries fell, the number of construction fatalities stayed flat. During the same 10-month period in 2018, there were 11 construction fatalities. In the same time period for this year, there were 10 deaths.
The decrease in injuries may be related to the launch of a new safety compliance unit in the Department of Buildings.
Sand Wall Collapse Kills Two In Upper Brookville
The Oyster Bay Patch reports that two workers have been killed after a sand wall collapsed at a home in Upper Brookville.
The collapse occurred around 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, sending rescue workers to the job site. Police sent one helicopter to the worksite for reports. The Bethpage and Massapequa Fire Departments also responded to the construction site. Two workers, who were not named, were at the bottom of a 30-foot hole. The workers were attempting to install a septic tank at the residence when the accident occurred.
They were completing some excavation work when one of the walls gave way. The men were buried in between 5 and 7 feet of dirt. One was pulled from the hole but was pronounced dead a few minutes later. As rescue crews resumed their search for the second worker, the other walls began to give way. Rescue workers had to wait until the walls were secured before resuming the recovery effort.
According to both OSHA and the BLA, construction is one of the most dangerous and deadly industries to work in. One in five worker deaths occurs in the construction industry. Of all deaths of workers, construction, transportation, and material transportation account for 47%. When it comes to what kind of accidents cause the most deaths on construction sites, the biggest four are falls, being struck by an object, being caught in or between objects, and electrocution. These four causes account for 59.9% of all construction worker deaths. When it comes to injuries, 1 in every 10 construction workers suffers from an injury annually.
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