If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction or workplace accident, you’re facing medical bills, lost wages, and immense stress. At Choudhry & Franzoni Law Group, our seasoned New York personal injury attorneys have decades of experience holding negligent contractors, property owners, and employers accountable. We understand the complex state and federal laws like New York’s Labor Law 240(1) (the Scaffold Law) and OSHA regulations that are designed to protect you. Call us now at (516) 888-1234 for a free, immediate free consultation.
Construction Accidents We Handle
Construction Site Falls
Construction site falls encompass any incident where a worker falls from an elevation or through an opening on a job site. This includes falls from roofs, unprotected edges, unfinished floors, stairwells, or between levels. Under New York Labor Law 240 (the Scaffold Law), property owners and contractors are held to strict liability when their failure to provide proper fall protection such as guardrails, safety nets, or harness systems results in injury. Even falls from relatively low heights can cause severe spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or fractures.
Falling Object Accidents
Falling object accidents occur when tools, materials, construction debris, or equipment strike a worker from above. These incidents often happen when objects are improperly secured, when materials are stored on elevated surfaces without barriers, or when work is being performed at different levels without adequate protection. Common injuries include concussions, skull fractures, shoulder injuries, and paralysis. Labor Law 240 applies here as well, requiring that materials be “so constructed, placed and operated as to give proper protection” to workers below.
Crane Accidents
Crane accidents involve the malfunction, collapse, or improper operation of tower cranes, mobile cranes, or overhead cranes. These catastrophic failures can result from mechanical defects, inadequate maintenance, improper assembly or disassembly, operator error, or exceeding weight limits. Incidents may include crane collapses, boom failures, load drops, electrocution from contact with power lines, or crane tip-overs. Such accidents often lead to multiple fatalities, crush injuries, and catastrophic trauma requiring extensive investigation by engineering experts.
Scaffolding Accidents
Scaffolding accidents refer to injuries resulting from defective, improperly erected, or inadequately maintained scaffolding systems. This includes scaffold collapses, plank failures, missing guardrails or toe boards, insecure footing, or failure to follow manufacturer specifications and OSHA standards. Workers may fall from scaffolding or be struck by collapsing structures. New York’s Scaffold Law imposes absolute liability on contractors and owners who fail to provide safe scaffolding, making these among the strongest cases for injured workers.
Ladder Accidents
Ladder accidents involve falls from or failures of extension ladders, step ladders, or fixed ladders. Common causes include defective ladder design or manufacture (broken rungs, faulty locking mechanisms), improper placement (on uneven or slippery surfaces), overreaching, exceeding weight capacity, or using a ladder for purposes other than intended. Even falls from modest heights can cause serious back injuries, wrist fractures, and head trauma. Employers have a duty to provide appropriate ladders and ensure they are safely used.
Electrocution Accidents
Electrocution accidents occur when workers contact live electrical sources, including exposed wiring, ungrounded equipment, overloaded circuits, or overhead power lines. These incidents may involve electricians, construction laborers, or anyone working near electrical systems. Injuries range from severe burns (both entry and exit wounds) to cardiac arrest, nerve damage, neurological disorders, and fatal shock. These cases often involve violations of the National Electrical Code and OSHA’s electrical safety standards (29 CFR 1910.303).
Heavy Machinery Accidents
Heavy machinery accidents involve industrial equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, backhoes, loaders, compactors, and pavers. Injuries occur due to equipment rollovers, mechanical failures, poor maintenance, inadequate training, or being caught in or between machinery components. These accidents frequently result in crush injuries, amputations, spinal trauma, and fatalities. Operator visibility limitations, especially behind large equipment, create particular hazards for ground workers.
Forklift Accidents
Forklift accidents encompass incidents involving powered industrial trucks used to lift and transport materials. Common scenarios include forklift tip-overs (especially when turning or on inclines), falls from elevated pallets, collisions with pedestrians or structures, loads falling from forks, and workers being crushed between the forklift and another object. Improper training (violating OSHA 1910.178), lack of maintenance, speeding, and inadequate worksite design are frequent contributing factors.
Demolition Accidents
Demolition accidents occur during the systematic destruction of structures and include unplanned collapses, premature implosions, falling debris, exposure to hazardous materials (asbestos, lead, silica), and equipment-related injuries. The inherently dangerous nature of demolition work requires meticulous engineering surveys, sequencing plans, and safety protocols. When contractors cut corners on these requirements, workers suffer catastrophic injuries from being trapped, struck, or exposed to toxins.
Trench Collapse Accidents
Trench collapse accidents (also called cave-ins) occur when the walls of an excavation suddenly give way, burying workers under thousands of pounds of soil. Even shallow trenches can be deadly due to suffocation or crushing injuries. OSHA requires protective systems for trenches deeper than 5 feet—including sloping, shoring, or trench boxes—which are often ignored to save time and money. These violations constitute gross negligence, creating strong liability cases for injured workers or their families.
Welding Accidents
Welding accidents involve injuries from cutting, brazing, and welding operations. Hazards include severe burns from sparks or molten metal, fires and explosions from igniting flammable materials, exposure to toxic fumes (ozone, nitrogen oxides, metal fumes), eye damage from ultraviolet radiation (arc eye), and electrical shock from welding equipment. Proper ventilation, personal protective equipment (PPE), fire watches, and equipment maintenance are essential safety requirements that employers frequently neglect.
Chemical Exposure
Chemical exposure incidents involve workers inhaling, absorbing, or ingesting hazardous substances on job sites. This includes exposure to asbestos, silica dust, solvents, paints, adhesives, lead, or other toxic materials. Effects may be immediate (chemical burns, respiratory distress) or develop over years (lung disease, cancer, neurological damage). These cases require meticulous documentation of exposure history, medical causation, and proof that employers failed to provide proper ventilation, warnings, or protective equipment as required by OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard.
Repetitive Stress Injuries
Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) develop from repeated trauma to muscles, tendons, and nerves over time. In construction, these include carpal tunnel syndrome from vibration tools, rotator cuff injuries from overhead work, tendonitis, and back injuries from repetitive lifting. While typically covered under workers’ compensation, third-party liability may exist if injuries were caused or exacerbated by defective equipment, improper tool design, or unreasonable work quotas that prevented adequate recovery time.
Workplace Equipment Accidents
Workplace equipment accidents involve injuries caused by malfunctioning or defective tools and machinery not covered under other categories. This includes nail guns firing accidentally, table saws without proper guards, defective power tools, malfunctioning aerial lifts, and broken hand tools. These cases often involve product liability claims against manufacturers in addition to negligence claims against employers who failed to maintain equipment or provide proper training.
OSHA Violations Leading to Injury
OSHA violation cases involve injuries directly resulting from an employer’s failure to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. This includes violations of fall protection requirements, inadequate hazard communication, failure to provide personal protective equipment, improper trench safety, electrical safety violations, and lack of machine guarding. Documented OSHA violations serve as powerful evidence of negligence in personal injury lawsuits, often supporting claims for punitive damages.
Choudhry & Franzoni Law Group
- Deep Knowledge of NY Labor Laws: We are experts in Labor Law 240 (Scaffold Law), Labor Law 241, and Labor Law 200, the statutes that give construction workers extraordinary rights to sue for negligence.
- Aggressive, Immediate Investigation: We act fast to photograph the scene, interview witnesses, subpoena safety records, and work with accident reconstructionists before evidence disappears.
- Maximum Value Case Building: We don’t just file a claim; we build a compelling case for a high-value settlement or trial verdict by thoroughly documenting all losses current and future medical care, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering.
- No Fear of Going to Trial: Our reputation as prepared and formidable trial lawyers forces insurance companies to offer fair settlements. We are ready to take your case to court if needed.
What to Do After a Construction or Workplace Accident
- Seek Medical Attention Immediately: Your health is paramount. This also creates a vital record linking your injuries to the accident.
- Report the Accident: Notify your supervisor, site manager, or employer in writing. Keep a copy.
- Document Everything: If possible, take photos/videos of the accident scene, your injuries, and the hazardous condition.
- Get Witness Information: Collect names and contact details of anyone who saw what happened.
- Preserve Evidence: Keep the boots, gloves, hard hat, or any damaged clothing/equipment involved.
- Do NOT Give Statements to Insurance Adjusters: The other party’s insurer will try to record you and minimize your claim. Direct them to your attorney.
- Call Choudhry & Franzoni Law Group at (516) 888-1234 for a free consultation. The sooner we get involved, the stronger your position.