Westchester Construction Accident Lawyer
Construction accidents in Westchester County can leave workers facing catastrophic injuries, lost income, extensive medical treatment, and an uncertain future. Falls from scaffolds and ladders, crane accidents, falling objects, unsafe equipment, and dangerous jobsites can cause life-changing harm.
Berkowitz & Weitz Law, P.C. represents construction workers injured in White Plains and throughout Westchester County. Depending on how the accident occurred, an injured worker may have legal rights beyond workers’ compensation.
Free Case Review
Tell us what happened. Our attorneys review serious construction accident claims throughout Westchester County.
When a Construction Accident Causes a Serious Injury
Construction workers face hazards that can cause devastating injuries in seconds. A serious accident may involve a fall, unsafe scaffold, defective equipment, falling material, trench or excavation hazard, crane operation, electrical danger, or another unsafe condition at a construction site.
Falls From Heights
Falls involving scaffolds, ladders, roofs, platforms, openings, elevated work areas, and other height-related hazards.
Falling Objects
Tools, building materials, debris, equipment, or loads falling from elevated work areas and striking workers below.
Equipment Accidents
Injuries involving cranes, hoists, lifts, machinery, power tools, vehicles, and defective or improperly maintained equipment.
Construction Accidents We Handle
The cause of a construction injury matters. Identifying the unsafe condition, the companies involved in the project, and the parties responsible for safety may be critical to determining what claims are available.
- Scaffold falls and scaffold collapses
- Ladder and roof falls
- Crane, rigging, and hoisting accidents
- Falling tools, debris, and construction materials
- Unsafe or defective machinery and equipment
- Trench, excavation, and collapse accidents
- Electrical injuries and electrocution
- Struck-by and caught-between accidents
- Unsafe work areas and inadequate safety protection
Learn more about scaffold accident claims, crane accidents, and construction falls from heights.
Who May Be Responsible for a Westchester Construction Accident?
Construction projects often involve multiple companies and layers of responsibility. Workers’ compensation generally involves the injured worker’s employer, while a separate third-party claim may involve other parties legally responsible for the worksite or accident.
Property Owners
Property owners may have legal responsibilities under New York law depending on the project, work being performed, and circumstances of the accident.
General Contractors
General contractors and qualifying statutory agents may have responsibilities relating to construction safety and certain elevation-related hazards.
Other Companies
Subcontractors, equipment companies, manufacturers, and other entities may also be relevant when their conduct or equipment contributed to an accident.
Labor Law §§240 and 241 Construction Claims
New York provides important protections for workers performing certain construction, demolition, repair, alteration, and related work.
New York Labor Law §240, often called the Scaffold Law, may apply to qualifying elevation-related accidents involving scaffolds, ladders, hoists, platforms, falling objects, and other gravity-related hazards.
Labor Law §241(6) may provide a basis for a claim when a qualifying construction, excavation, or demolition accident involves the violation of a sufficiently specific provision of New York’s Industrial Code.
Whether either statute applies depends on the work being performed, how the accident occurred, the parties involved, and other facts. A construction accident does not automatically establish a Labor Law violation.
Workers’ Compensation May Not Be the Only Claim
Workers’ compensation can provide important benefits after a jobsite injury, but receiving workers’ compensation does not necessarily mean that no other claim is available.
Depending on the circumstances, an injured worker may also have a third-party claim against a property owner, general contractor, subcontractor, equipment company, manufacturer, or another responsible party.
A third-party construction accident claim may seek damages that are not fully available through workers’ compensation, including pain and suffering and other losses where legally recoverable.
Construction Accidents Can Cause Life-Changing Harm
Falls, collapses, heavy equipment, falling materials, and other construction hazards can cause injuries that permanently affect a worker’s health, independence, and ability to earn a living.
Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, skull fractures, and serious head trauma.
Spinal Injuries
Spinal cord injuries, neck and back trauma, nerve damage, and paralysis.
Orthopedic Trauma
Fractures, crushed limbs, pelvic injuries, joint damage, and complex orthopedic injuries.
Catastrophic Injuries
Amputation, internal injuries, burns, permanent disability, disfigurement, and fatal injuries.
Evidence After a Construction Accident
Construction sites change rapidly. Equipment can be moved, scaffolds dismantled, hazards corrected, and contractors can leave the site. Preserving evidence early may become important to determining how an accident occurred.
Worksite Evidence
Photos, videos, damaged equipment, safety devices, scaffold components, ladders, tools, and physical conditions at the site.
Project Records
Contracts, incident reports, inspection records, safety logs, training records, permits, and other project documentation.
Witness & Medical Evidence
Coworker information, witness accounts, medical records, wage records, photographs of injuries, and documentation of ongoing limitations.
What Compensation May Be Available?
The compensation available in a construction accident claim depends on the injuries, responsible parties, applicable law, and the individual circumstances of the case.
Medical Expenses
Past and future treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, medication, medical equipment, and long-term care where recoverable.
Lost Income
Lost earnings, employment benefits, diminished earning capacity, and future economic losses where applicable.
Pain & Disability
Pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other legally recoverable damages.
What Should You Do After a Construction Accident?
Seek Medical Treatment
Get appropriate medical care and explain clearly how the construction accident occurred.
Report the Accident
Notify your employer, supervisor, or appropriate site representative and request a copy of any accident report.
Photograph the Scene
If possible, document the work area, equipment, safety devices, debris, scaffold, ladder, or condition involved.
Identify Witnesses
Save the names and contact information of coworkers and others who witnessed the accident or unsafe condition.
Preserve Documents
Keep medical records, work records, union information, photographs, messages, pay information, and other relevant documents.
Have the Accident Reviewed
Early legal review can help identify potentially responsible parties and evidence that may need to be preserved.
Experience With Serious Construction Injury Claims
Crane Accident Catastrophic Injury Recovery
Recovery for a truck driver who suffered catastrophic pelvic injuries in a crane accident, resulting in permanent disabilities and future lost earnings.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.Building Serious Construction Accident Claims
Berkowitz & Weitz Law, P.C. represents injured workers in complex construction accident and New York Labor Law claims.
Our attorneys investigate how the accident occurred, identify the owners, contractors, subcontractors, and other companies involved, preserve evidence, review project and safety records, and pursue compensation from appropriate sources.
- Decades representing injured New Yorkers
- Experience with Labor Law §§240 and 241 claims
- Investigation of owners, contractors, and other responsible parties
- Serious and catastrophic injury litigation
- Free consultations
- No attorney’s fee unless compensation is recovered
Construction Accident Claims Throughout Westchester
Berkowitz & Weitz Law represents injured workers in White Plains and communities throughout Westchester County.
White Plains
Yonkers
New Rochelle
Mount Vernon
Westchester County
Learn More About New York Construction Injury Claims
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue after a construction accident in Westchester County?
Potentially. Workers’ compensation generally provides benefits through an employer, but depending on the accident, an injured worker may also have a third-party claim against a property owner, general contractor, equipment company, or another legally responsible party.
Does New York Labor Law §240 apply in Westchester County?
Yes. New York Labor Law applies throughout New York State, including Westchester County. Section 240 may apply to certain elevation-related accidents involving qualifying work and hazards such as scaffolds, ladders, hoists, platforms, and falling objects. Whether it applies to a particular accident depends on the facts.
Can I have a claim if I receive workers’ compensation?
Potentially. Workers’ compensation and a third-party construction accident claim are different. Depending on the circumstances, an injured worker receiving workers’ compensation benefits may also have a claim against an owner, contractor, or another responsible entity.
What if I was partially responsible for the accident?
Partial fault does not automatically prevent every construction accident claim. The effect of a worker’s conduct depends on the legal theory involved and the specific facts, including whether Labor Law §240 applies.
What evidence should I preserve after a construction accident?
Photographs and video of the worksite, equipment and safety devices, witness information, incident reports, medical records, work records, and other documentation may become important. Construction sites can change quickly, so early preservation of evidence can be valuable.
How much does it cost to speak with Berkowitz & Weitz Law?
The firm offers free consultations for potential construction accident claims. There is no attorney’s fee unless compensation is recovered.
Injured on a Construction Site in Westchester?
Talk with Berkowitz & Weitz Law about what happened and learn what legal options may be available after a serious construction accident.