Queens Construction Accident Lawyer

How Common Are Construction Accidents in Queens, NY?

Construction accidents are fairly common. While a few industries have higher injury rates, the sheer size of the construction industry means that hundreds of workers die while working every year. In fact, construction workers suffer more fatal injuries than workers in any other industry, with the exception of the transportation industry. 

Workers in the construction industry also face a high number of nonfatal injuries. Construction sites are filled with many hidden and obvious dangers. Things that are often integral to a worksite can also be the cause of accidents such as trenches, scaffolds, and overhead lines which can expose workers to injury. Workers also risk injury while delivering building materials or traveling between job sites.

What Are the Typical Construction Accident Causes? 

Construction sites are hives of activity. Many construction accidents happen because of the heavy vehicles, workers, and materials all gathered in one place. Construction vehicles have poor visibility, and the noise on a job site can mask the sounds of dangers.

Some common causes of construction accidents include:

• Falls
• Electric shocks
• Falling objects
• Vehicle collisions
• Being caught in a machine
• Being trapped between objects or vehicles
• Falls from elevated work platforms

Falls are common on construction sites. They include falls from one elevation to another elevation and falls on the same level. For example, these accidents include falls from a ladder or scaffold or into a trench. They also include slips or trips on debris.

Electric shocks can cause internal and external burns. These accidents can result from electrical faults, damaged power tools, and collisions with overhead lines. When a current enters the body, it can overwhelm nerves and damage organs.

“Struck by” and “trapped between” accidents take two forms. First, they can happen when workers are struck by vehicles or pinned between a vehicle and something else. Second, they can happen when falling or collapsing objects, like building materials, hit workers or trap them.

Most Common Construction Accident Injuries

Construction accidents can cause injuries to body organs like the skin, nervous system, or musculoskeletal system. Musculoskeletal injuries include the following:

• Broken bones
• Strained muscles
• Sprained ligaments
• Torn cartilage

These injuries often produce severe pain and swelling. They usually take a few months to fully heal and may require physical therapy or surgery.

Burns can result from fires, electrical shocks, and caustic chemicals. First- and second-degree burns cause severe pain but usually heal within a few weeks. Third-degree burns cause little pain because the nerve endings in the skin are destroyed. They expose workers to infections and severe, permanent scars.

The nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord. Injuries to the nervous system can result in permanent disabilities like paralysis. Brain injuries can also affect your ability to think and remember. Unfortunately, the nervous system does not easily heal itself, so injuries to the brain, nerves, or spinal cord may cause lifelong symptoms.

Finally, construction workers are susceptible to toxic exposure. Asbestos, dust, and other contaminants can enter a worker’s body. Over time, the worker may develop health problems like cancer, requiring legal assistance from a construction accident lawyer in Queens.

How Oresky & Associates, PLLC Can Help After a Construction Accident in Queens

When you hire us, you’ll have access to the mind of a seasoned construction accident lawyer. Queens construction accidents are complicated, and we want to look at all the information we can to learn exactly what happened. 

We may review pictures and videos of the accident and interview witnesses. Then, an experienced Queens construction accident attorney from Oresky & Associates will meet with you to discuss the next steps. We’ll talk about what legal path works for your case, such as: 

• Pursuing a workers’ compensation claim
• Filing a product liability claim against an equipment company
• Filing a claim against a negligent third party

If your construction accident attorney in Queens recommends filing a claim, we might take these steps:

• Find and review evidence
• Get in touch with expert witnesses
• File a claim with the at-fault party’s insurer
• Negotiate your claim in court or at mediation
• If the other party won’t settle for what you deserve, take your case to trial

Our Queens construction accident law firm represents you on a contingency basis. You don’t pay us until we win or settle your case, and then we’ll take a percentage of what we won for you.

We’ll Fight to Get the Right Compensation for Construction Workers

The dedicated attorneys at our firm are ready to do everything we can to win your case and obtain compensation. Contact us for a free consultation with a Queens construction injury lawyer.

Free Consultation

What Is My Construction Accident Case Worth?

Construction accident losses include medical bills and lost income. You can file for workers’ compensation benefits, which will cover all your medical costs and part of your income losses. But some losses are not covered by workers’ comp.

If any party other than your employer contributed to the accident, a Queens construction accidents lawyer can pursue a third-party claim. Through this claim, you can ask for losses not covered by workers’ comp, such as your full income, diminishment in future earnings, and pain and suffering.

To estimate what your case is worth, contact a construction site accidents lawyer in Queens.

Damages Available for Construction Workers

Damages include compensation for your economic and non-economic losses. You can ask for these damages in a negligence action, or you might file a product liability claim against the manufacturer of a defective piece of construction equipment.

First, you can recover compensation for reasonable and necessary costs caused by your injuries. Economic losses include the specific costs of your injuries, including:

• Past and future medical bills
• Lost income from missing work while recovering
• Loss of future income due to permanent disability
• Items like crutches, wheelchairs, and other mobility devices

Your lawyer will use bills, receipts, paychecks, and financial statements to prove the amount of each expense and the reason you incurred it. That’s why you should keep any records related to your injury. 

Non-economic losses cover changes to your quality of life. These losses do not come with a price tag. However, they still affect you and your family. Some examples of these losses include:

• Physical pain
• Dismemberment
• Mental suffering
• Disability
• Disfigurement

Should I Settle for Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ comp insurance pays for all reasonable and necessary costs, including emergency treatment immediately after your accident. It also provides partial wage replacement if you require time off from work to recover.

You can usually file a workers’ compensation claim without impacting your ability to file a third-party lawsuit. Since workers’ comp does not cover everything, you should speak to one of our construction injury attorneys. Queens construction workers often have the right to third-party claims that reimburse losses that workers’ comp does not cover.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Construction Accident?

You must act promptly to preserve your legal rights after a construction accident. Some steps you should take after your injury include the following:

• Notify your supervisor or manager of the accident
• If you can, take photos or videos of the scene
• Keep track of medical treatments and expenses
• Contact Queens construction accident attorneys

During your claim, we’ll rely on the evidence you gathered and the information gathered by our construction accident attorneys. Queens construction accidents often involve third parties other than your employer. These parties may be liable for your injuries if they acted negligently or breached a statutory duty.

Negligence means the party failed to act with reasonable care and prudence. Sometimes this happens when they break a safety law.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Construction Accidents in New York?

New York law gives injured workers up to three years to file a lawsuit for bodily injury. Cases filed against the City of New York and other municipalities require a notice of claim to be filed in 90 days and an action started in 15 months. You should act quickly after your construction accident to preserve your rights and ensure evidence doesn’t get lost. Our construction litigation attorneys in Queens are ready to help with your case.