Construction Accident FAQs

During construction work, the site itself poses significant risks to workers. An accident at the construction site can lead to catastrophic injuries. To help settle your accident case in front of a jury, you need a lawyer with trial experience, and one who quickly sends an investigator to the site to take pictures of the construction area that caused the accident. In the hands of an experienced lawyer, these pictures become powerful and important images of the accident for the jury.

2. Who do I sue?

Workers compensation benefits are not your only form of money recovery after a construction site accident. Most construction workers don't know that you can sue any company other than your employer, such as the building owner, general contractor, scaffolding company, manufacturer of machinery, ladder manufacturer, or subcontractor. This lawsuit does not affect your ability to go back to work for the same employer because there are strict Federal laws that guarantee that. Various kinds of construction accidents include: crane accidents, defective machinery, heavy equipment, scaffold accidents, and ladder accidents.

3. What kind of compensation am I entitled to?

If our attorneys take your construction accident case, the lawsuit will be brought in either the Supreme Court of New York or a Federal Court. These Courts have no cap on the amount of money a jury may award for a construction accident lawsuit. How much you receive depends on the severity of the accident, and whether it is a permanent injury and how it will change your life and enjoyment of life. Your injury today may have a lifetime of consequences. Contact a qualified attorney from The Najdovski Law Firm PLLC to get more detailed information about your specific construction accident or injury.

4. What is the value of my construction accident case?

Insurance companies and juries award money, known as 'damages' based on the severity of your accident. Questions that come into play are:

What is the duration of the injury?

What is the amount of time you must be away from work because of your injury?

Did the accident result in a lifelong injury?

What is the pain and suffering you feel as a result of this injury?

Is the injury debilitating?

Your settlement or jury verdict for damages will depend on prevailing liability, also known as, 'fault.' Liability depends on establishing who was at fault for the accident, unless, as in many construction accident cases, strict liability applies.

Damages must also reflect an amount for future pain and suffering that will most likely occur as a result of the accident. Future lost income for those who either cannot go back to work, or cannot do the same kind of work is also taken into account.

To provide an example of how quickly the future income can add up, take the case of a 45 year old worker who is injured in an accident at a construction site and is permanently disabled. The Judge instructs the jury that the average life span is 75 years, and this worker made $100,000 a year. Then the total lost future income, on a simplified level (various additional formulas tweak this number) would be $3 million.

The Najdovski Law Firm PLLC is a leading New York City area law firm with twenty years of experience as lawyers. If you have been involved in a construction site accident, our experienced lawyers are able to fight for your right to compensation. Contact us today at 917.734.7111.

See our Construction Site Accident News Blog for additional resources on construction news and up-to-date information on New York City area construction accidents and information affecting the NY construction industry.