New York Falls From Heights Lawyer

What Damages Can You Recover if You Fell on a Construction Site?

Clients represented by our New York construction accident attorneys have recovered million-dollar damages awards in third-party construction accident lawsuits. The damages you may be entitled to claim will depend on the facts and circumstances of your case and the extent of your injuries.

Your potential damages could include the following:

• Reimbursement of your current and anticipated future medical expenses to treat injuries.
• Replacement of wages you did not receive while you recovered from those injuries.
• Compensation for your pain and suffering, such as physical pain from injuries or treatment, insomnia, fear, psychological trauma, anger, grief, and depression.
• Recovery of costs and expenses to travel to and from medical appointments and therapy sessions.
• The costs you incur to modify your living quarters to accommodate limitations caused by your injuries.

Our New York construction accident lawyer can best assess your case and the damages you might recover when you retain legal representation as soon as possible after you’ve been hurt.

How are New York Construction Workers Injured in Falls from Heights Accidents?

OSHA statistics suggest that falls from heights account for almost 60% of all fatal construction accident injuries. Falls and falling objects account for a similar percentage of non-fatal injuries, which are often severe because of the acceleration caused by gravity. For example, if you fall from a height of 30 feet, you would be moving at almost 30 miles per hour when you hit the ground. That speed is more than enough to cause broken bones, traumatic head injuries, and serious internal injuries.

Many NYC construction site falls are caused by defective scaffolds or ladders, inadequate safety equipment, improper worker training, or failures to secure heavy tools and equipment.

In most cases, negligence is implied when a worker or construction site visitor is injured by an object accidentally dropped from an elevated surface. The victim can best secure their opportunity to recover a substantial damages award by contacting a lawyer as soon as possible.

What Legal Protection Does New York Provide After a Severe Fall Accident?

New York State is a pioneer in providing legal protection for construction workers injured in scaffolding accidents. Section 240 of the State’s Labor Laws imposes strict safety standards on contractors and construction site owners for using and operating scaffolds and other mechanical equipment that workers use while performing their tasks at elevations.

A critical feature of this law is that, if applicable, an injured worker could recover a more significant damages award in a third-party lawsuit than might otherwise be available under workers’ compensation or traditional negligence standards.

Who are the potentially liable third parties in a NYC falls from heights accident lawsuit?

Construction sites are dynamic places that combine the efforts of a general contractor, several sub-contractors, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, material delivery services, architects, and engineers. Any one or more of those third parties may be liable for a fall from height injury.

The starting point for a construction accident damages claim will always be with the injured party’s employer. However, an experienced New York construction accident lawyer will always look beyond the employer to assess the liability of third parties. When you are looking for a lawyer to represent you, always ask whether they will analyze the entire construction site to identify all potentially responsible parties.

What is the Statute of Limitations?

If you have a valid cause of action for a construction accident lawsuit, you must generally file within three years of the date of the accident, however, your timeline could be much shorter than that depending on the circumstance. You may lose all right to recover damages if you miss it. Further, because important evidence can fade over time, you can best protect your rights by contacting a lawyer promptly.

Contact Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman for a Free Consultation

Construction site cases are a significant part of our worksite litigation practice. Through our more than 50 years of experience in this area, our attorneys have developed in-depth knowledge of the laws in New York. These laws give extra protection to workers in the construction trades and allow them to sue third parties, such as contractors and property owners, for their injuries. Our New York attorneys will be happy to answer any of your questions about pursuing a lawsuit after an accident.

Please contact us today for a free consultation to determine the value of your case and to learn more about workplace lawsuits. Since we work on a contingency basis, there are no upfront legal fees.