Some people would do anything to save a buck, cutting corners even when it means risking other people’s lives. When profit takes priority over basic safety, construction workers are going to get hurt.
Inadequate training, rushed timelines, and defective or poorly maintained equipment are examples of how greed causes construction injuries across every borough. The real tragedy is how easily preventable these injuries can be.
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we’ve seen firsthand how cost-cutting accidents happen; how developers, contractors, and subcontractors sacrifice safety to maximize profits. We’ve built our practice based on holding people accountable for this type of inexcusable behavior.
Greed Puts Construction Workers at Risk
When a desire for profit becomes the ultimate priority, it turns into negligence. Greed takes many forms, and it can even lead to a reckless disregard for human life.
Undertrained Workers
NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) mandates specific Site Safety Training (SST): 40 hours for workers and 62 for supervisors. Having undertrained on a construction site results in horrible accidents, like falls, machine entanglements, electrical burns, and collapsed supports.
To reduce labor costs, some contractors hire unqualified laborers, failing to make sure they have the proper training. These poorly trained workers are often placed in high-risk roles without the necessary preparation, so they really don’t understand essential things like:
- Fall protection procedures
- Equipment operation
- Scaffolding safety
- Lockout/tagout systems
Ignoring NYC Code and DOB Safety Violations
Failing to follow DOB safety protocols is inexcusable, and it’s also against the law. Careless contractors often ignore:
- Scaffold assembly rules
- Trench wall reinforcement
- Permit and inspection deadlines
- Weather-related suspension of work
A simple shortcut like removing fall protection from a ladder or failing to lock out power to a machine can cause irreversible harm.
Contractor and Subcontractor Liability
- Delegating complex tasks
- Failure to provide the right equipment
- Setting unreasonable deadlines
- Ignoring worker concerns to avoid delays
Subcontractor liability is often at the heart of serious construction injuries. Under Labor Law § 240 and § 200, both contractors and subcontractors can be held liable when a worker is hurt due to boilerplate safety failures.
Defective Equipment and Delayed Maintenance
Using outdated or malfunctioning equipment to save money is another hallmark of greed in the construction industry. Falls, crush injuries, and fatalities often result when:
- Cranes are not inspected
- Harnesses are torn or outdated
- Ladders or scaffolds are unstable
- Electrical tools are ungrounded or overused
Construction Injuries Caused by Greed
Many accidents could be prevented if employers simply followed required inspection and maintenance routines. Some of the most devastating construction injuries we’ve seen involve:
- Falls from elevation due to missing guardrails or no harness system
- Struck-by incidents from unsecured materials or vehicle collisions
- Cave-ins from improperly supported trenches
- Burns and electrocution from exposed wires or unsafe welding
- Amputations from lack of machine guarding
New York Labor Law Protections for Injured Workers
New York State has some of the strongest construction worker protections in the country. If you’re injured because a contractor cut corners or ignored safety laws, these statutes may apply:
Labor Law § 240 (“Scaffold Law”)
This law applies to elevation-related injuries, typically from falls or falling objects. It holds contractors and property owners strictly liable if proper safety equipment was not provided.
A violation of Labor Law 240 doesn’t require proof of negligence. If a worker falls and the proper safety devices aren’t there, liability is automatic.
Labor Law § 200
This general duty law requires employers and site owners to provide a reasonably safe work environment. If a worker is injured due to a hazardous condition on the site or unsafe instructions, Labor Law 200 can provide a path to compensation.
Labor Law § 241(6)
This statute allows injured workers to recover damages when their injury stems from a violation of New York’s Industrial Code. It covers many specific safety rules and is often used in tandem with Labor Law 200 or 240 claims.
Third-Party Construction Claims
While workers’ compensation provides partial wage replacement and other benefits, you might be able to pursue additional compensation through a third-party lawsuit against negligent parties such as:
- General contractors
- Subcontractors
- Property owners
- Drivers
- Equipment manufacturers
These lawsuits allow you to recover damages for:
- Pain and suffering
- Full lost wages
- Current medical expenses
- Assisted living care
- Reduced quality of life
We Investigate Accidents and Identify Liable Parties
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we conduct full-scale investigations into every construction injury we handle. We work with:
- Construction safety experts
- Medical professionals
- Building engineers
- Economists and life care planners
- Accident reconstruction specialists
We also dig deep into employer records, subcontractor agreements, and DOB safety citations to prove the link between greed and the injuries you’ve suffered.
What to Do If You Were Injured at a Jobsite
If you have been injured on a construction site in NYC, take these steps immediately:
- Seek medical attention
- Report the injury to your employer
- Document the scene (photos, witness statements, site conditions)
- Don’t sign anything from insurance or the company without legal advice
- Contact an experienced NYC construction accident attorney
Delays can hurt your case, and evidence can disappear quickly on job sites where greed and cover-ups go hand in hand. The sooner we start investigating the accident, the better.
Speak With a Trusted Construction Accident Lawyer in NYC
At Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we’ve recovered more than $2 billion for our clients. We build solid cases against developers, site owners, and contractors who chose profit over safety to get justice for injured construction workers. In fact, we prepare every case as if it’s going to trial.
Call us at (212) 986-7353 to schedule your free consultation today.
We’ll help you understand your rights and build a strategy to hold those responsible fully accountable.