New York contractors who use scaffolds at construction sites must comply with OSHA Regulations, New York State’s unique scaffold laws, and general workplace safety principles to prevent accidents that can leave employees with significant and life-altering injuries. Any failure to comply with these laws, rules and regulations can be the basis for a third-party construction accident lawsuit against the entities that failed to fulfill their safety obligations.
Our New York scaffolding accident lawyers at Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman LLP are committed to helping our clients recover maximum compensation when they suffer injuries in accidents involving mobile or suspension scaffolds, scissor lifts, pipe scaffolds and ladders or other alternatives to scaffolding.
We have helped clients recover substantial compensation through settlements and successful lawsuit verdicts for over 50 years. We leverage our extensive knowledge and experience to help you claim the damages you deserve. Call today for a free consultation.
Over his 24-year career, Thomas Giuffra’s innovative approach, thorough preparation, and trial advocacy skills have led to 20 verdicts and numerous settlements of over one million dollars on behalf of his clients, including a recent landmark verdict for $58 Million. Tom is one of the youngest trial lawyers in New York to amass such a successful record at trial.
Tom was voted to become a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers. Members of the Society are dedicated to the art of advocacy, preserving trial by jury and an independent judiciary. Membership in the Society is limited to less than 700 lawyers selected by their peers and judges as “outstanding in the field of advocacy.”
His recent successes include a $2.032 Million labor law verdict for a man who was injured at a construction site due to a defective scaffold and a $2 Million settlement for a labor law action after a man’s right tibia was cut through by a saw at an unsafe worksite.
The results that our firm’s New York scaffold accident attorneys have achieved on behalf of our injured clients speak for themselves. Among other successes, our lawyers have procured a $2,032,000 verdict for a man who suffered injuries at a construction site due to a defective scaffold and a $1,600,000 labor law verdict for a worker who fell from a ladder and suffered a traumatic brain injury at a dangerous construction site.
We’re ready to help you explore your legal options. Call us at (212) 684-1880 today.
Common causes of scaffolding accidents include the following:
If you believe these or other factors contributed to your scaffolding accident, our experienced and aggressive New York scaffolding accident attorneys are ready to help you explore your legal options.
We are committed to giving your claim the attention and consideration it deserves and to recover the largest available damages award to compensate you for the expenses you incur due to your injuries. This could include your current and future medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
For example, Section 240 of the NY Labor Laws requires owners of buildings and general contractors to provide safety protection for all construction site workers and imposes absolute liability on those owners and contractors for injuries resulting from their failure to provide that protection.
Labor Law 240 applies explicitly to construction, demolition, repairing, altering, painting, cleaning, or pointing of a building or structure when workers are at risk of falling or being struck by falling objects.
The law mandates that employers, general contractors, and property owners (excluding single- and two-family homeowners who do not direct the work) provide workers with proper safety equipment, including ladders, hoists, swings, ropes pulleys, braces, blocks, or other devices necessary to ensure worker safety.
Unlike traditional personal injury claims, Labor Law 240, as noted above, imposes absolute liability on employers and contractors who fail to meet its safety requirements.
This means:
This strict liability provision ensures that workers have strong legal protection in the inherently dangerous construction industry.
If a worker is injured in a New York scaffolding accident, the statute of limitations is three years from the date of the accident to file a third-party lawsuit against the responsible party (property owner or contractor) under Labor Law 240.
However, these laws are not self-enforcing. When a construction worker is involved in a scaffolding accident, they will need to hire a New York construction accident lawyer and file a lawsuit to recover damages for their losses.
Sometimes, injured employees can sue third parties whose recklessness or careless actions caused their accident. A third-party claim can seek additional compensation to cover damages outside workers’ compensation benefits, like pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and loss of spousal consortium.
A construction worker who has been injured in a NY scaffold accident may have a valid reason to sue parties other than their employer, including:
Each accident reflects a unique set of facts that your New York scaffolding accident attorney will analyze before they file a third-party claim to recover damages. When you are looking for representation in a New York scaffold accident lawsuit to protect your interests, ensure they have the expertise to review all aspects of your accident and injuries and to pursue damages from all potentially liable parties.
If the construction work occurred on a government or municipal building, you may only have 90 days to file a claim.
Otherwise, you generally have three years from the date of the incident that caused your injuries to file a NY scaffolding accident lawsuit. However, from a practical perspective, you should not wait three years. Instead, contact a construction accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident to allow sufficient time to preserve and analyze the evidence that will support your claim for damages.
The NYC scaffolding accident attorneys atRheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman are ready to help you explore your legal options after you have been hurt in a scaffolding accident. Please schedule a complimentary and confidential consultation with a New York construction accident lawyer about how you can get the damages award you deserve.
If you retain us and we accept your case, we will thoroughly analyze the evidence about your accident and identify all parties that may be liable for your damages. You will pay nothing for our services, and we will earn our fees as part of the settlement or jury award that we recover for you.
Ready to start the process? Request a free case evaluation with us today.
We fight tirelessly to deliver results and we are not afraid to go to trial.
We are leaders and educators in legal issues involving personal injury, medical malpractice, and product liability.
We have the experience to handle your case all while providing individualized attention.
