Construction Accident Lawyer

If you were injured on a construction site, a NYC construction accident lawyer can help you recover money for your medical bills, your lost income, and the harm the injury has done to your life. Construction is among the most dangerous work in New York City, and when a fall, a falling object, or an unsafe site puts you in the hospital, your rights go well beyond a workers' compensation check.

Korman Lynch Lustig & Sassower represents injured construction workers across New York City, and our New York City construction accident lawyers build every case as if it will be tried in front of a jury. Below are straight answers to the questions injured workers ask our attorneys most.

Do I Have a Construction Accident Case in?

You likely have a case if you were hurt on a construction site because of an unsafe condition, a missing safety measure, or someone else's carelessness. New York law puts strong safety duties on property owners and general contractors, so you do not have to prove your employer was at fault to recover. The fastest way to know is to have the facts reviewed, which our NYC construction accident lawyers do at no cost.

Who Is Responsible for a Construction Accident?

Often more than one party is responsible, and usually it is not just your employer. Property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and equipment makers can all share the blame when a site is unsafe. Identifying every responsible party matters, because it is what opens the door to full compensation beyond workers' compensation.

How Much Money Can I Get for a Construction Accident?

It depends on how serious your injury is and how it changes your life, so there is no single number. What you can recover generally falls into these categories:

• Medical expenses: hospital bills, surgery, medication, and future care related to the injury.
• Lost wages and earning capacity: the pay you have missed and the income you may never earn again.
• Pain and suffering: the physical pain and the emotional toll of the injury.
• Rehabilitation and long-term care: therapy, assistive devices, and home modifications you may need.
• Permanent disability: added compensation when the injury leaves lasting limits.
• Wrongful death: support for the family when a loved one is killed on a site.

No lawyer can promise you a figure. What our New York City construction accident attorneys can do is build the case so the full weight of your loss is on the table.

What Should I Do After a Construction Accident?

Get medical care first, then protect the case before the site changes. The steps that matter most in the first days are simple:

• See a doctor right away: some injuries show up later, and the medical record ties your injury to the accident.
• Report it to your supervisor: this creates an official record of what happened.
• Take photos: the scene, the equipment involved, and your injuries, if you can.
• Get witness information: names and phone numbers of coworkers who saw it.
• Do not give a recorded statement or sign anything: not for the insurance company or your employer, until a lawyer has reviewed it.
• Stay off social media: posts about the accident or your recovery can be used against you.

Can I Still Sue If I'm Getting Workers' Compensation?

Often, yes. Workers' compensation can pay part of your medical bills and lost wages no matter who was at fault, but it does not cover pain and suffering and it usually blocks a claim against your employer. When someone other than your employer helped cause the accident, such as a site owner, a contractor, or an equipment maker, you may have a separate injury case that recovers far more.

How Long Do I Have to File a Construction Accident Lawsuit in New York?

In most cases you have three years from the date of the accident to file suit. But if a city or public agency is involved, you may have as little as ninety days to serve a formal notice first. Because the deadline depends on who is responsible, it is safest to confirm yours early rather than assume you have years.

What If the Construction Accident Was Partly My Fault?

You can still recover money. New York uses comparative fault, which means your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame but not taken away. On many construction cases the law places heavy responsibility on owners and contractors for site safety, which can limit how much fault falls on the worker at all.

Can I Get Compensation If I'm an Undocumented Worker?

Yes. Your immigration status does not stop you from bringing a construction injury claim in New York. Injured workers have the right to a safe worksite and to pursue compensation when it fails, regardless of status.

How Much Does a Construction Accident Lawyer Cost?

Nothing upfront. Our NYC construction accident lawyers handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney's fee unless there is a recovery for you. The first consultation is free, so you can find out where you stand at no cost and no obligation.

What Are the Most Common Types of Construction Accidents?

Most serious construction injuries in New York City come from a handful of recurring hazards, including:

• Scaffold and ladder accidents: falls from height when elevated equipment fails or is set up wrong.
• Falls from heights: falls from roofs, floors, and open edges, where even a short drop can be catastrophic.
• Falling objects and debris: tools, materials, and debris dropped from above onto workers below.
• Electrocution and electrical burns: injuries from exposed wiring and unfinished electrical systems.
• Missing or failed safety equipment: injuries that happen when harnesses, guardrails, or hard hats are absent or defective.
• Unsafe tools and equipment: injuries from malfunctioning or poorly maintained machinery and power tools.
• Demolition and excavation accidents: collapses, cave-ins, and struck-by injuries during teardown and digging.
• Elevator shaft accidents: falls into unguarded or poorly marked shafts.
• Slip, trip, and fall accidents: falls caused by wet surfaces, debris, and uneven ground.

What Injuries Do Construction Workers Usually Suffer?

Construction injuries tend to be serious and long-lasting. The most common ones our New York City construction accident attorneys see include:

• Traumatic brain injuries: from falls and struck-by impacts.
• Spinal cord injuries: including partial and full paralysis.
• Broken bones and crush injuries: often needing surgery and hardware.
• Amputations: from machinery and heavy equipment.
• Burns and electrical shock injuries: from fires and electrical systems.
• Internal organ damage: from blunt force and crushing.
• Vision, hearing, and respiratory injuries: from debris, blasts, and hazardous materials.

How Dangerous Is Construction Work?

Construction is the deadliest job in New York City. In 2024, 19 construction workers were killed on the job in the city, and falls were the leading cause, according to the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. Its Deadly Skyline report found that a New York City construction worker is more than six times as likely to be killed on the job as the average city worker, that most workers killed across the state were non-union, and that more than three quarters of the deadly worksites had safety violations on record.

What Counts as a Construction Accident?

A construction accident is any injury that happens because of work on or around a construction site. That covers falls from heights, being struck by falling tools or materials, electrical injuries, machinery and equipment failures, and collapses during demolition or excavation. It can include workers, and at times pedestrians or visitors hurt by dangerous site conditions.

How Can a Construction Accident Lawyer Help You?

Korman Lynch Lustig & Sassower handles the legal fight so you can focus on getting better. Our New York City construction accident lawyers investigate the site before the evidence disappears, identify every party responsible, deal with the insurance companies, and build your case for its full value, ready to take it to a jury if the offer is not fair. There is no fee unless our attorneys recover for you.

Which Areas Do Our Construction Accident Lawyers Represent?

Our NYC construction accident lawyers represent injured workers across all five boroughs, including as a Bronx construction accident lawyer, a Queens construction accident lawyer, a Brooklyn construction accident lawyer, a Manhattan construction accident lawyer, and a Staten Island construction accident lawyer. Wherever the site was, our attorneys can help.

Talk to Korman Lynch Lustig & Sassower Today

A construction injury can put your health, your income, and your family under pressure all at once. The sooner our New York City construction accident lawyers get involved, the more evidence can be preserved and the stronger your case will be. Contact Korman Lynch Lustig & Sassower for a free consultation about your NYC construction accident case.