There are few jobs as dangerous as those in the construction industry - especially in New York City. Whether you are on scaffolding working several stories up or on the ground around heavy machinery, you can easily suffer a severe and life-threatening injury if just one person makes a single mistake.
However, if you have been injured in a construction accident - including accidents related to falls, roof collapses, electrical mishaps, faulty equipment or even negligence - you may have many legal options available.
For instance, if you are catastrophically injured by a defective or poorly maintained piece of construction equipment, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer or the party responsible for servicing the equipment. Likewise, if the owner of the construction site ignores dangerous or hazardous conditions, and you are hurt as a result, you may be able to seek damages.
Also, New York's Scaffolding Law - Section 240 of the New York Labor Code - protects the state's construction workers from falls. Essentially, this law requires contractors and property owners to provide workers with necessary and properly installed safety equipment, such as scaffolding, hoists, harnesses, and ladders, just to name a few. Because of this law, project owners and general contractors are often strictly liable when a fall catastrophically injures a worker.
Ultimately, depending on the circumstances of your construction accident, you may have several avenues of legal recourse at your disposal - meaning this post barely scratches the surface of what you may need to know. Learn more about your legal options today and contact a knowledgeable professional.
With more than 40 years of combined legal experience, the attorneys at Restivo & Murphy LLP are all too familiar with the dangers of construction, not to mention the risks of waiting too long to pursue legal claims following accidents.