Construction work in Garden City and throughout Nassau County puts workers at serious risk every day. If you suffered injuries in a scaffold collapse, ladder fall, or any gravity-related accident at a job site, a Garden City construction accident lawyer can fight for compensation that goes beyond workers' comp limits.
New York's Scaffold Law gives injured construction workers powerful protections, and a trial lawyer with construction accident experience can help you hold property owners and general contractors accountable for failing to provide safe working conditions.
At Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP, our goal is to secure maximum compensation for all your injuries and losses. We have obtained substantial recoveries for construction workers across Long Island, including seven-figure verdicts and settlements for fall injuries and wrongful death. Contact us today for a free consultation in English or Spanish.
Injured on the Job? Let Us Build Your Case.
Garden City Construction Guide
- Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP: A Firm That Speaks for Construction Workers
- New York's Scaffold Law: Absolute Liability for Construction Workers
- Types of accidents covered by the Scaffold Law
- Construction Site Dangers in Garden City and Nassau County
- The "Fatal Four" construction hazards
- Workers' Compensation vs. Third-Party Construction Accident Claims
- Protecting Your Claim After a Construction Accident
- Frequently Asked Questions About Garden City Construction Accident Claims
- Take Control of Your Construction Accident Claim
Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP: A Firm That Speaks for Construction Workers
Choosing the right attorney after a construction site injury matters more than many people realize. Property owners and contractors carry substantial insurance policies, and their legal teams work aggressively to minimize what they pay injured workers. You need a law firm with the resources, trial experience, and results to level the playing field and hold negligent parties accountable.
Proven results in construction accident cases
Our attorneys have recovered millions for construction workers injured on Long Island job sites, including more than $9 million for a construction site wrongful death, over $1 million for a worker who suffered head injuries after a fall, $1 million for a laborer who fell from a ladder and injured his leg, and $2 million for a construction site injury involving a laborer. These results reflect our commitment to pursuing maximum compensation for every client.
Trial-ready representation
Insurance companies know which law firms take cases to trial and which settle early for less. Our attorneys prepare every case as if it will go before a jury at the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola, the Suffolk County Supreme Court in Riverhead, or any other jurisdiction where your case may be heard. This trial-ready approach often produces stronger settlement offers because defendants know we will not back down.
Personal injury is all we do
Many other law firms spread their attention across multiple practice areas. We focus entirely on personal injury, including construction accidents, which enables us to develop a deep understanding of New York's Labor Law and the strategies that yield results for injured workers.
No upfront costs
We handle construction accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. This arrangement allows injured workers to access high-quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation.
New York's Scaffold Law: Absolute Liability for Construction Workers
New York Labor Law Section 240, known as the Scaffold Law, provides construction workers with protections that exist nowhere else in the country. This statute imposes absolute liability on property owners and general contractors for gravity-related injuries, meaning they bear full responsibility when workers fall from heights or are struck by falling objects.
What does absolute liability mean for your claim?
Under traditional negligence law, your compensation would be reduced by your percentage of fault. New York's comparative negligence rules typically apply to personal injury cases. However, Labor Law 240 creates an exception for construction workers injured in gravity-related accidents.
Once you establish that a scaffold law violation caused your injury, the property owner and general contractor face full liability, even if you made an error that contributed to the accident.
Types of accidents covered by the Scaffold Law
The Scaffold Law protects Garden City construction workers injured in falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, elevated platforms, and other raised surfaces. It also covers workers struck by improperly secured falling objects such as tools, construction materials, and debris. Falls through unguarded floor openings and inadequately protected edges also qualify under Labor Law 240.
A Garden City construction accident lawyer can evaluate whether your injury qualifies under the Scaffold Law and identify all potentially liable parties.
Construction Site Dangers in Garden City and Nassau County
Construction activity continues at a steady pace throughout Garden City and the surrounding Nassau County communities. Job site hazards exist at commercial projects near Roosevelt Field Mall, renovations along Franklin Avenue, residential development in the Estates section, and infrastructure work along Stewart Avenue and Clinton Road.
Where construction accidents happen in Garden City
Local construction crews face risks at sites throughout the area, including:
- Commercial developments near Roosevelt Field Mall and Garden City Plaza
- Renovations along Franklin Avenue's business district
- Residential projects in the Estates section near Cherry Valley Club
- Infrastructure work along Stewart Avenue and Clinton Road
- Redevelopment around the former Mitchel Field area
- Projects near Long Island Rail Road stations on the Hempstead Branch
What the data shows about construction fatalities
The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) releases annual reports documenting construction fatalities across the state. Their recently published Deadly Skyline report revealed troubling trends:
- Construction worker deaths in New York City increased for the third consecutive year
- 24 workers died in one recent year, a 20% increase from the previous year
- Statewide, 50 construction workers lost their lives
- 90% of deaths occurred on non-union job sites
- 73% of OSHA-inspected fatality cases involved concurrent safety violations
The "Fatal Four" construction hazards
Falls remain the leading cause of construction worker deaths according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The agency's "Fatal Four" identifies falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-between accidents as responsible for more than 60% of construction fatalities nationwide.
Common Construction Accident Injuries
Construction site accidents often result in life-altering injuries that require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. Workers injured at Garden City job sites may require emergency care at nearby facilities such as NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola, Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, or North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.
A scaffold accident attorney in Garden City can help you pursue compensation for these serious construction-related injuries.
- Traumatic brain injuries ranging from concussions to severe TBI
- Spinal cord injuries that may cause partial or complete paralysis
- Multiple bone fractures requiring surgical repair
- Crush injuries from falling objects or equipment
- Internal organ damage from impact trauma
- Soft tissue injuries to shoulders, knees, and backs
Whether you suffered a ladder fall in Nassau County or a scaffold collapse in Garden City, a construction accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation beyond workers' comp limits.
Construction Injuries Deserve Full Compensation.
Workers' Compensation vs. Third-Party Construction Accident Claims
Many construction workers believe workers' compensation is their only option after a job site injury. While workers' comp provides important benefits regardless of fault, it has significant limitations that a construction accident lawyer in Garden City can help you overcome.
Limitations of workers' compensation
Workers' compensation, administered by the New York State Workers' Compensation Board, covers medical treatment and a portion of lost wages. However, it does not compensate you for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
Benefit amounts are capped, and insurance carriers frequently dispute claims or undervalue injuries. For workers with serious injuries, these limited benefits rarely cover the true financial impact of a construction accident.
How third-party claims provide fuller compensation
Most construction sites involve multiple parties: property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and equipment suppliers. When your employer is a subcontractor, you can file a workers' compensation claim against them while simultaneously pursuing a Labor Law 240 claim against the property owner and general contractor.
A successful third-party claim provides compensation for:
- Full lost wages (not the reduced workers' comp amount)
- Complete medical expenses, including future treatment
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost earning capacity
Your Garden City construction accident lawyer can identify all potentially liable parties and pursue every available avenue for compensation. Working with an experienced construction accident attorney levels the playing field against well-funded insurance defense teams.
Protecting Your Claim After a Construction Accident
If you have already received medical care for your construction site injuries, there are additional steps you can take to strengthen your legal claim.
- Contact an experienced construction accident attorney. This is the most important step. Property owners and their insurers begin building their defense immediately after an accident. Having legal representation ensures someone is protecting your interests from the start.
- Attend all medical appointments and follow treatment recommendations. Insurance companies look for gaps in medical treatment to argue your injuries are not as serious as claimed. Consistent medical care creates documentation linking your injuries to the accident.
- Preserve all evidence related to the accident. Keep photographs of the scene, your injuries, and any defective equipment. Save all medical records, bills, and correspondence with your employer or their insurance company.
- Report the accident to your employer if you have not already done so. New York law requires prompt reporting of workplace injuries. Your attorney can help ensure this documentation is complete.
A Garden City construction accident attorney handles these details while you focus on your recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Garden City Construction Accident Claims
How long do I have to file a construction accident lawsuit in New York?
New York's statute of limitations gives you three years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, if your claim involves a municipal property or government entity, you may need to file a notice of claim within 90 days. Do not wait to consult with an attorney, as evidence can disappear and witnesses' memories fade.
Can I file a claim if I was working as an independent contractor?
Yes. New York's Scaffold Law protects workers regardless of their employment classification. Independent contractors injured in gravity-related construction accidents have the same rights under Labor Law 240 as traditional employees.
What if I was partly at fault for my construction accident?
Under Labor Law 240's absolute liability standard, your own negligence is generally not a defense that the other side can use. Property owners and contractors cannot reduce your compensation by arguing you made a mistake, unless your actions were the sole proximate cause of the accident, which courts rarely find.
Does the Scaffold Law apply to residential construction projects?
Labor Law 240 exempts owners of one-family and two-family homes who do not direct or control the work. However, the law applies to apartment buildings, multi-family dwellings, commercial properties, and any residential project where the owner supervises the construction activities. Further, you may be able to pursue a recovery against the general contractor for a one or two-family project.
How much does it cost to hire a construction accident lawyer?
Our firm handles construction accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront fees, and we only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you. This arrangement allows injured workers to access experienced legal representation without financial risk.
Take Control of Your Construction Accident Claim
A serious construction injury affects every part of your life, but you have legal options that can help you move forward with confidence. New York's Scaffold Law provides powerful protections that exist nowhere else in the country, and a construction accident lawyer with trial experience can put those protections to work for you. We can pursue maximum compensation for medical care, lost income, and the pain this accident has caused.
From our Garden City office at 225 Franklin Avenue, we serve injured construction workers throughout Nassau County and Long Island. Contact Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP today for a free consultation. Call us today or contact us online to speak with a Garden City personal injury attorney who will fight for your rights and help you take control of your future.
For A Free Legal Consultation, Call