Advocating for Injured Queens Construction Workers
Construction workers in Queens are unsung heroes behind the scenes who often go unnoticed and unappreciated. These workers are fearless in performing their duties. They accomplish miracles, risking their lives on dangerous jobs and performing work that is essential to our communities. If you have been injured or lost a loved one on a construction site, speak with an experienced Queens construction accident lawyer as soon as possible.
What Types of Work Can Lead to Construction Accidents in Queens?
Falls are the leading cause of work-related death, accounting for 36.4% of total fatalities in the construction industry, as stated by the CDC. Workers can fall when working at higher elevations, on scaffolding, or on ladders, particularly when proper safety measures are not taken. Construction workers also risk being struck by equipment or falling materials, electrocuted, or caught between objects or equipment. They may also be injured in slip or trip and fall accidents, fires and explosions, vehicle collisions, and demolition disasters.
What Types of Injuries Are Common in Construction Accidents?
Because of the nature of the work, construction workers are vulnerable to a range of serious injuries, including:
- Bone fractures
- Severe burns
- Electrocution
- Back and knee injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Amputations
- Toxic substance exposure
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Wrongful death
What Types of Compensation May Be Available to Injured Construction Workers?
Construction workers injured on the job are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Employers have a responsibility to carry this insurance coverage for their employees. Workers comp will pay your medical bills associated with the injury and reimburse you for a portion of your lost wages. Family members of construction workers killed on the job may seek death benefits under workers’ compensation.
If a party other than your employer is responsible for your accident and injuries, you may have grounds for a third-party lawsuit. Potentially liable parties may include property owners, contractors, subcontractors, and manufacturers of defective equipment or tools. Damages that may be recovered in a personal injury claim go beyond workers’ compensation benefits. For example, they may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, and loss of consortium.
When a worker dies through the negligence of a third party, surviving family members may be able to recover compensation beyond workers’ comp in a wrongful death claim. To prevail, they must prove that the company or other party was negligent, that the worker died as a result, and that the victim had close family members who suffered losses because of the death.
The statute of limitations (time limit imposed by law) for personal injury in New York is generally three years from the date of injury or diagnosis. Once that deadline has passed, your claim will be forever barred. It is important to consult with an experienced injury lawyer as soon as possible after a serious or fatal construction accident.
How Can a Queens Construction Accident Attorney Help?
Our seasoned Queens personal injury attorneys can investigate your construction site accident to determine fault and liability. We can secure evidence to support your claim, assess the full extent of your damages, and build a strong case based on the facts. Our firm has the knowledge, skills, and resources to negotiate effectively with insurance companies on your behalf and to present a compelling case to a judge and jury.
We have over 50 years of experience and have won more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients. Contact Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP at (212) 986-7353 after a serious Queens construction accident.