Fighting for Injured Construction Workers With Relentless NYC Grit
Our team is passionate about obtaining justice for construction site victims who suffered harm because somebody else didn’t do their job properly. We promise to do our job as construction accident lawyers and fight for every dollar you’re owed.
This dedication to our clients has earned us the trust of countless injured people throughout New York City. Here’s what else we have to offer:
- Nearly 60 years of experience: We’ve represented injured workers since 1967 and recovered billions in verdicts and settlements for our clients.
- Litigation-forward strategy: We’re prepared to file a lawsuit and take your case to trial when necessary. This approach creates leverage and protects you from low settlement offers.
- Deep understanding of local and federal labor laws: Our attorneys can quickly identify what state labor laws and federal regulations apply to your case and use evidence of violations to prove liability.
- Expansive network of experts: We have access to construction engineers, medical professionals, and investigators who can help us uncover safety violations and prove the link between the accident and your injuries.
Types of New York City Construction Accident Claims We Handle
Construction accidents can impact workers, pedestrians, and anyone else near an active job site. If you were injured in any of these types of scenarios on or near a construction site, we’re here to help:
- Construction Fall Injuries
- Crane Accidents
- Forklift Accidents
- Heavy Equipment Accidents
- Scaffolding Accidents
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Asbestos Exposure Lawsuits
Our NYC construction accident lawyers handle both personal injury lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims in-house, allowing us to pursue every path to compensation under one coordinated legal strategy.
Your Right to Compensation After a Construction Injury
If you were injured on a construction site in New York while working for an employer, you’re likely entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These typically include health care benefits for necessary medical treatment and partial wage replacement for any work you missed due to your injuries. If a worker dies from a job-related injury, eligible surviving dependents may receive workers’ compensation death benefits, and funeral or memorial expenses may be reimbursed up to $12,500 in New York City.
While workers’ compensation generally prevents injured employees from suing their own employer for ordinary negligence, some workers may have third-party claims against owners, general contractors, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, or other negligent parties. This option allows you to seek damages beyond what workers’ comp provides, including full compensation for lost wages, future lost earning capacity, past and future medical bills, mental anguish, pain and suffering, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Our Manhattan construction accident lawyers can help you identify all available avenues of compensation and pursue the damages you need to make a full financial recovery.
We Have Your Back
Founded in 1967, The Sanders Law Firm has grown into a large, thriving organization of attorneys, paralegals, medical consultants, and support staff – all committed to providing the highest level of legal representation to injured New Yorkers.
Common Causes of New York City Construction Accidents
Construction work is one of the most dangerous occupations, contributing to nearly 20% of workplace deaths in the United States. Many serious injuries and deaths on construction sites involve violations of safety standards, such as those regarding fall protection, hazard communication, scaffolding, respiratory protection, and machine guarding. In some cases, these violations are so severe that they result in criminal prosecutions for construction companies.
In 2025, there were 320 construction-related incidents involving injuries and fatalities across New York City. Worker falls were the top cause of both injury and death that year, causing 163 injuries and 6 deaths. Another 28 incidents involved a building material unexpectedly failing and falling on or near workers. Mechanical construction equipment incidents were also a leading cause of serious harm, resulting in 19 injuries.
This local data corresponds with the “focus four” for the construction industry identified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The focus four refers to the leading causes of construction worker deaths nationwide: falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in or between accidents.
Liability in a New York Construction Accident
New York State labor laws provide legal protections specifically for construction workers injured on a job site. Labor Law sections 200, 240, and 241 protect workers who are involved in construction, demolition, excavation, cleaning, and repair by making the owner of the job site and the general contractor liable for construction accident injuries. Depending on how the accident happened, subcontractors, architects, and product manufacturers, distributors, or sellers may also be liable.
Labor Law 200
Labor Law § 200 imposes a duty on owners and general contractors to protect the health and safety “of all persons employed therein or lawfully frequenting such places.” For an injured construction worker to recover monetary damages under section 200, they must have suffered an injury connected with the workplace, and they must show that the owner or contractor exercised supervision and control over the work performed at the site, or knew—or should have known—about an unsafe condition that caused the construction accident.
Labor Law 240
Labor Law § 240, also known as the Scaffolding Law, is designed to protect workers from falls and/or injuries from falling objects. It requires owners, contractors, and their agents to put in place adequate safety devices when workers have to perform job duties at elevation. Importantly, a construction worker’s recovery is not reduced by their own negligent conduct. Workers have successfully brought construction accident lawsuits under section 240 for falls from heights as low as 12 inches.
Labor Law 241
Labor Law § 241, or the “Safe Place to Work Law,” contains specific guidelines about how construction sites should be arranged and operated to prevent injuries to workers at ground level from hazards such as slip, trip, and fall accidents, chemicals, and air contamination. Unlike the Scaffolding Law, section 241 does not impose absolute liability on construction companies, property owners, and contractors who are responsible for providing a safe work environment. There must be a determination about whether the safety measures employed at the site were “reasonable and adequate” under the circumstances.
Important Deadlines for Construction Injury Claims in New York
Several deadlines can affect your legal options after a construction accident in New York. First, you must notify your employer of your injuries within 30 days of the accident to avoid losing your right to seek workers’ compensation benefits. You also have two years from the date of the injury to file a workers’ compensation claim.
If a third party is responsible for your injuries, your case is subject to New York’s personal injury statute of limitations. This law gives you three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a loved one was killed in a construction accident, you’ll have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Shorter deadlines apply if your injury involves an at-fault government agency. In that case, you’ll need to file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident and file a personal injury lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days.
We’re Ready To Protect Your Right To Fair Compensation
Construction accidents often involve life-altering injuries and multiple potential sources of liability. If you or a loved one was injured on a construction site, The Sanders Law Firm can help make sense of your rights and options during this challenging time. From there, our New York City construction accident lawyers will be ready to pursue full compensation from all available sources while you focus on healing.
Contact us online or call (833) SANDERS to schedule your free consultation. Our supportive team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you start moving forward.