Construction Accidents

Experienced Construction Accident Attorneys in New York City

Workers’ compensation benefits only go so far. While they may cover a part of your income and medical expenses, they do not adequately compensate you for serious and preventable injuries, or your pain and suffering caused by construction accidents. 

At the personal injury firm of Smiley & Smiley, LLP, our New York City lawyers have recovered additional compensation for construction site accident victims through third-party claims. Third-party construction site accident claims are personal injury actions filed against a negligent third party who is not your employer, or a co-worker. 

These construction accident claims can be filed against New York building owners, general contractors, equipment manufacturers, contractors, architects and others who bear some responsibility for injuries. 

CRANE ACCIDENTS AND OTHER INJURIES AT CONSTRUCTION SITES IN NEW YORK CITY

When injured in a construction accident, put the skilled negligence and workers’ compensation attorneys of Smiley & Smiley, LLP, on your side. We understand the various avenues you can take in recovering the maximum amount of compensation.

Our law firm handles cases where injuries occur on construction sites due to the following circumstances:

• An aerial lift or crane collapse

• Falling off a ladder or from a height such as a roof or ledge

• Scaffolding collapses

• Dump truck and forklift accidents

• An unsafe tool or unsafe machinery

• An unsafe surface or hole in the floor

• Being struck by a falling object

• Demolition activities

Were your injuries the result of a third party’s negligence? We can help. Our experience and dedication can be valuable assets in your overall recovery after a serious or catastrophic injury on the job.

FAVORABLE VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS

Our team of NYC construction accident attorneys combine for more than 85 years of legal experience and have recovered dozens of six- and seven-figure awards for injured construction workers and their families. 

Examples of cases we have handled for injured construction workers: 

• Our client, who is an ironworker, sustained life changing injuries to his pelvis, leg, back and arm when a scissor lift he was working on toppled over. We proved that the owner and general contractor of the site violated the Labor Laws. Our representation resulted in $9,750,000 in compensation.

• Our client was crushed to death while operating an aerial lift as he painted the Path Train Reconstruction Project following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Our analysis and site investigation found that the defendants negligently allowed the deceased to operate the aerial lift alone. Our representation resulted in more than $5 million in compensation.

• Our client was struck in the head by falling debris while working on the Triborough Bridge near the Bronx. At trial, we established the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) violated laws requiring overhead protection for workers. After a week in trial, the TBTA settled the claim for almost $1.4 million.

• $2.5 million for a 29-year-old laborer who fell on a slippery construction site, injuring his lower back. Our client required lumbar fusion surgery as a result of his injuries. We proved that the owner and general contractor of the site violated the New York labor laws.

• Our client fractured his foot when a plank he was walking on gave way as he worked to renovate a subway station. Our representation resulted in a $520,000 award.

• Our client suffered severe shoulder and internal injuries when he was struck by a beam while working on a building. We established that laws requiring the use of debris chutes were violated, and our client received a $650,000 award. 

While no construction accident attorney can guarantee a similar outcome, we have a strong track record at Smiley & Smiley, LLP. Roughly 95% of our New York construction accident cases reach a favorable settlement for clients without going to trial. 

Your Construction Accident Case is in Good Hands

Injuries can happen in all types of construction, and when medical bills start mounting and you’re dealing with lost wages, the situation can become understandably tense. 

Workers Comp can serve as an immediate relief to recover compensation, but there are more recourses available to you than the construction industry makes clear. 

Real compensation for your injuries includes reimbursement for medical costs as well as any inability the injury may have created for you to continue earning a wage. That can be because you can’t work at all or can only work in a diminished capacity and likely will never earn the same wages as before. 

That’s our first priority for our injured worker clients — especially if insurance companies don’t provide enough coverage in the short term.