If you need a construction accident lawyer in Staten Island, Minchew & Santner, LLP can help. Our construction accident lawyers have been representing injured workers for over 38 years, recovering millions under New York Labor Law. We handle both Workers’ Compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits — so you don’t need two firms. Free consultations, no fee unless we win.
Whether the result of unsafe working conditions or the negligent management of a job site, construction workers can suffer a variety of serious injuries leading to disability. Typically, construction accidents and injuries may occur due to any of the following:
Labor Law Safety Violations
New York’s Labor Law is one of the strongest worker protection laws in the country. Here are the violations that most commonly lead to claims:
- Falls from elevated platforms, including scaffolding
- Falls from ladders
- Failure to provide safe ladders and scaffolds
- Failure to provide safety belts and equipment
- Failure to provide roofing brackets
- Failure to provide Life nets
- Falling objects causing injuries
- Tripping at work sites with hazards in passageways and working areas
- Failure to clear work areas of material, dirt, debris, tools and sharp objects
- Electrical shocks from improper wire labeling or improper electrical cut off
- Electrical shocks from hidden wiring
- Failure to cut off gas, electric, water, steam supply lines during demolition
- Failure to inspect adjacent structures prior to demolition
- Failure to remove bricks and other materials safely when doing hand demolition
- Failure to provide stairs, ramps or runways to access work areas above or below ground
- Improper eye and ear protection
- Improper head protection
- Failure to provide testing of unventilated and confined areas
- Failure to store and provide safety for corrosive substances
- Failure to provide rain gear when workers are required to work outside during precipitation
- Failure to provide sharpened tools causing an accident
- Failure to provide safety equipment for power tools
- Improper barricades and fences
- Failure to provide safety railings
- Failure to provide safe platforms used for loading and unloading
- Failure to provide a fire extinguisher for welders
- Failure to provide safety equipment for power shovels and backhoes
- Overloading dump trucks
- Failure to provide safety features for lift and fork trucks
- Missing coverings from holes in a floor
- Missing coverings for workers in a shaft more than two stories
- Unsafe concrete forms
- Failure to follow safe procedures while placing structural steel
- Unsafe pallet trucks
- Unsafe procedures for hoisting materials
- Unsafe illumination in work areas
- Unsafe sheeting and shoring of dirt during excavation
Any of these can result in a major, life-altering injury, and even a wrongful death.
If You Are Injured On A Job Site
After getting medical help, the most important thing to do is notify your employer. While you have up to two years to file a Workers’ Compensation claim with the Compensation Board, you only have 30 days to notify your employer of an injury. Notifying your employer lays the groundwork for getting Workers’ Compensation benefits and pursuing any claims down the road.
How Our Construction Accident Lawyers in Staten Island Can Help
Worker’s Compensation benefits pay for your medical expenses and lost wages. Our firm will assist you with your Compensation claim and fight for your rights before the Worker’s Compensation Board.
New York Labor Law Section 240 (the “Scaffold Law”) and Section 241 impose absolute liability on general contractors and property owners for gravity-related injuries and safety violations on construction sites. This means that even if you were partially at fault, the contractor and owner may still be fully liable. This is one of the most powerful worker protections in the country, and it is the foundation of most construction injury cases we handle.
What many injured workers don’t realize is that you can pursue both a Workers’ Compensation claim AND a personal injury lawsuit against the general contractor — at the same time. We handle both, so you don’t have to juggle two different law firms. While each case has to be evaluated based on its own circumstances, those who have suffered a personal injury as a result of an accident at a construction site can make claims against the general contractor and owner under New York Labor Law. If such an injury occurs, it’s important to review the case for safety violations and other issues that may have contributed to the accident. We can help you identify all your legal options, particularly as they relate to fair and just compensation for your personal injuries along with lost wages and medical expenses. In fact, if your case calls for it, we will also be able to help you file for Social Security Disability (SSD).
As your construction accident lawyer in Staten Island, we are prepared to litigate every case, no matter how complex. Our attorneys are experienced and have a history of obtaining fair and just compensation.
We Offer Free Consultations
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident in Staten Island, contact our office today. Consultations are free and there is no fee unless we win.