Manhattan construction happens hundreds of feet in the air, over busy sidewalks, on tight sites with cranes, hoists and scaffolding everywhere. When something goes wrong, workers and passersby can be seriously injured. New York law gives construction workers some of the strongest protections in the country, and a Manhattan construction accident attorney knows how to use them.
New York’s Scaffold Law
Labor Law § 240(1) makes owners and general contractors responsible for providing proper protection against gravity-related hazards, such as falls from height and objects falling from above. When the right safety device wasn’t provided or failed, they can be held liable even if the injured worker made a mistake. On high-rise projects, this includes:
- Falls from scaffolds, ladders, floor openings and building edges
- Materials dropped from hoists or upper floors
- Unsecured loads falling during crane and rigging work
Industrial Code violations under § 241(6)
Labor Law § 241(6) lets injured workers recover when an owner or contractor violated a specific safety regulation in the New York Industrial Code: slippery floors, tripping hazards, unguarded machinery, improper trench shoring and more. The NYC Department of Buildings also enforces its own site safety rules, and violations can support your case.
Workers’ comp plus a third-party lawsuit
Workers’ compensation covers medical care and partial wages but not pain and suffering, and you generally can’t sue your own employer. On most Manhattan projects, however, the building owner, general contractor or construction manager is a different company. A third-party claim against them can recover your full lost earnings, future medical needs, and pain and suffering.
Pedestrians hurt by construction
People walking past job sites can be hurt by falling debris, collapsed sidewalk sheds or poorly marked hazards. Those injured bystanders may have claims against the owner and contractors.
Deadlines and evidence
Most construction injury lawsuits must be filed within three years, but projects owned by the City or a public authority generally require a notice of claim within 90 days. Important evidence includes site safety logs, DOB violations, incident reports, photos, and the contracts showing who controlled the work. Much of it is in the defendants’ hands, so preservation letters should go out quickly.
Talk to a Manhattan construction accident attorney
We represent injured construction workers throughout Manhattan and the other boroughs. Learn more on our construction accident page, and read about crane accident claims and Labor Law 240 scaffold cases. Federal safety standards are available from OSHA.
Visit Yakov Mushiyev & Associates
Our office is at 1 Cross Island Plaza, Suite 325, Rosedale, NY 11422, just off the Cross Island Parkway on the Queens–Nassau border. If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you: at home, in the hospital or by video.
Talk to a Manhattan construction accident attorney today
Yakov Mushiyev & Associates has recovered over $80 million for injured New Yorkers across the five boroughs and Nassau County. Consultations are free, available in English, Russian and Spanish, and there is no fee unless we win.
Call 718.775.3110 or contact us online for a free case review.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different. Attorney Advertising.