Construction Accident Lawyers
If you were hurt on a construction site, you may be facing surgery, months off work and bills that workers’ comp won’t fully cover. The construction accident lawyers at Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP represent injured workers and their families in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. Our construction injury attorneys investigate what went wrong, identify every responsible party, and pursue full compensation.
Expertise
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Content written by Samuel Meirowitz
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Construction sites are inherently dangerous places, posing countless hazards to both workers and passersby. Construction accidents caused 46.1 percent of all fatal falls, trips, and slips in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you have been hurt in a construction accident, you may be dealing with mounting medical costs, lost wages, and debilitating pain. A lawyer can help ensure you get the support you need to recover. In the case of serious injury, a lawyer may be the only way you can receive the compensation you need to care for yourself and your family.
Meirowitz & Wasserberg has a team of experienced construction accident lawyers and construction injury attorneys. You can expect to be treated with compassion and dedication when you trust our firm with your legal case.
Construction Accident Results
Meirowitz & Wasserberg has won large settlements, more than $800 million, for injured clients. Our construction and building-trades results include:
- $32,000,000 for a client harmed by asbestos exposure
- $3,150,000 for a painter who developed mesothelioma from asbestos in building and construction products
- $205,000 for a construction worker who fell 14 feet from a broken ladder
- $111,000 for a construction laborer who injured both knees in a fall at work
Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
Can You Sue After a Construction Accident?
Usually, yes. You just can’t sue your own employer. Most injured construction workers have two paths to compensation, and many can pursue both at once.
Workers’ compensation. In nearly every state, employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance. It pays your medical bills and part of your lost wages no matter who caused the accident. In exchange, workers’ comp is usually the only claim you can bring against your employer.
A third-party lawsuit. Construction sites are shared by many companies. If someone other than your employer caused or contributed to your accident, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against them. Examples include a general contractor, the property owner, another subcontractor or the manufacturer of a defective tool. A lawsuit can recover damages workers’ comp never pays, such as pain and suffering and your full lost earnings.
Workers’ compensation | Third-party lawsuit | |
|---|---|---|
Who pays | Your employer’s insurer | The at-fault contractor, owner or manufacturer (usually their insurer) |
Do you have to prove fault? | No | Yes, unless a state law makes the defendant strictly liable (for example, New York Labor Law 240) |
Medical bills | Covered | Recoverable |
Lost wages | Partial, about two-thirds of your average weekly wage | Full past and future lost earnings |
Pain and suffering | Not available | Recoverable |
Can you have both? | Yes. Workers’ comp is often repaid from a lawsuit recovery through a lien. | Yes |
A construction accident lawyer’s job is to find every claim you have, not just the obvious one. That often means an independent investigation before evidence disappears.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Construction Accident?
Responsibility on a job site is usually shared. Depending on the facts, any of these parties may owe you compensation:
- General contractors, who usually control site safety and coordinate every trade.
- Property owners, who may be held responsible for site safety, in some states regardless of fault.
- Subcontractors whose crews created the hazard, such as an open floor hole or an unsecured load.
- Equipment and product manufacturers, when a defective scaffold, ladder, saw, harness or crane part causes an injury.
- Architects and engineers, when a design or inspection failure leads to a collapse.
- Drivers and trucking companies, for crashes in work zones or on site.
- Asbestos and building-product makers, for occupational diseases like mesothelioma that show up years later.
Types of Construction Accidents We Handle
OSHA calls four hazards construction’s “Fatal Four”: falls, being struck by an object, electrocution, and getting caught in or between objects. We handle all four, along with other serious job site accidents.
Falls From Heights
Falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, floor openings and lifts are the leading cause of construction deaths. Most come down to missing guardrails, harnesses, netting or properly secured ladders. Learn more about roofing and fall accidents.
Scaffold Collapses
Scaffolds fail when they’re overloaded, poorly anchored, missing planks or put up without inspection. Workers on them fall, and people below are hit by debris.
Struck by Falling Objects
Tools, materials and debris dropped from above cause skull fractures, spinal injuries and crush injuries. Toe boards, debris netting and secured loads prevent most of them.
Crane and Hoist Accidents
Crane collapses, dropped loads and rigging failures are among the deadliest events on a site. They often involve several companies: the crane owner, the operator’s employer, the rigger and the general contractor.
Explosions and Fires
Gas line strikes, hot work near flammable materials and poorly stored fuel can cause explosions with severe burns and blast injuries. Learn more about construction explosion accidents.
Electrocution
Contact with overhead power lines, live wiring and damaged tools causes electrocutions and electrical burns. These often trace back to failures to de-energize, mark or guard lines.
Caught-In and Between Accidents
Workers get pinned by machinery, crushed between equipment and walls, or buried in trench collapses. A trench without shoring or a trench box can collapse in seconds.
Machinery and Equipment Failures
Defective saws, nail guns, lifts and forklifts, or ones missing their guards, can cause amputations and crush injuries. These cases often include a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
Toxic Exposure
Asbestos, silica dust, lead and chemical exposure can cause mesothelioma, lung disease and cancer decades after the work ended.
Common Construction Injuries
Construction accidents cause some of the most serious injuries we see, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Back and neck injuries, including herniated discs that need fusion surgery
- Broken bones, especially of the legs, hips, pelvis and wrists
- Burns from fires, explosions and electrical contact
- Amputations and crush injuries
- Torn rotator cuffs, knee injuries and other joint damage
- Mesothelioma and other occupational diseases
- Fatal injuries. Families may have a wrongful death claim.
Construction Accident Statistics
Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the country:
- 1,034 construction workers died on the job in 2024, in private-sector construction alone, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Falls are the #1 cause. In 2024, 389 construction deaths, over one-third, were caused by falls, slips and trips. 95.9% of those were falls to a lower level.
- Construction accounted for 48.8% of all fatal falls, slips and trips in private industry in 2024.
- About 1 in 5 U.S. workplace deaths happened in construction in 2024. The industry’s fatality rate was 9.2 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers.
Most of these deaths were preventable with proper fall protection, training and site supervision. When a company skips those safeguards, the law can hold it responsible.
What to Do After a Construction Accident
The steps you take in the first days can protect both your health and your case:
- Get medical care right away. Call 911 or go to the ER. Tell every provider you were hurt at work so your records show it.
- Report the accident to your employer in writing. Do it as soon as possible; deadlines can be as short as 30 days. Keep a copy.
- Photograph the scene. Get the equipment, the missing guardrail or harness, and your injuries before anything is repaired or cleared.
- Get names and phone numbers of co-workers, foremen and anyone else who saw what happened.
- Don’t give a recorded statement or sign anything for an insurance company before talking to a lawyer.
- Know who else investigates. OSHA, and in some cities the local buildings department, may investigate serious accidents. Their reports can become key evidence.
- Talk to a construction accident lawyer before evidence disappears and the site moves on.
How Construction Accident Settlements Are Valued
There’s no reliable “average” construction accident settlement. Values range from tens of thousands to many millions of dollars. These are the factors that drive what a case is worth:
- Severity and permanence of the injury. Surgery, permanent restrictions and future care needs carry the most weight.
- Lost earning capacity. Construction trades pay well, so a career-ending injury can mean decades of lost income.
- Who’s liable. Every additional responsible party, such as an owner, general contractor or manufacturer, can add another insurance policy.
- The state’s laws. Strict-liability rules like New York’s Labor Law 240 can make liability far easier to prove than ordinary negligence.
- Your share of fault, if any. Depending on the state and the claim, it can reduce or bar recovery.
- Insurance limits and workers’ comp liens. These affect how much of a recovery reaches you.
A lawyer who has handled serious construction cases can estimate a realistic range once the facts and medical picture are clear.
Construction Accident Filing Deadlines by State
If you miss a deadline, you can lose your claim permanently. These are the general deadlines; exceptions apply.
| New York | New Jersey | Pennsylvania | Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Injury lawsuit | 3 years (CPLR 214) | 2 years (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2) | 2 years (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524) | 2 years for accidents after Mar 24, 2023 (Fla. Stat. 95.11) |
Claims against a city or public agency | Notice of claim within 90 days; suit within 1 year and 90 days | Notice of claim within 90 days | Written notice within 6 months (42 Pa.C.S. § 5522) | Written notice within 3 years; special rules apply |
Wrongful death | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
Workers’ comp | Notify employer within 30 days; file within 2 years | Notify employer within 90 days; file within 2 years | Notify employer within 21 days (no later than 120 days); file within 3 years | Notify employer within 30 days; file within 2 years |
Evidence fades and sites change quickly, so don’t wait for the deadline to get advice.
Undocumented Workers Have Rights Too
Many construction workers worry that their immigration status means they can’t file a claim. In general, undocumented workers can still pursue workers’ compensation and personal injury claims after a job site accident. The safety laws that protect construction workers apply to everyone on the site. Our consultations are confidential.
The Legal Process for Construction Accident Claims
Here’s how Meirowitz & Wasserberg helps in a construction accident claim:
- Case assessment and consultation: We offer a free initial consultation and tell you upfront whether you have a viable legal case. We can determine the cause of your accident and identify all parties potentially liable for your accident, which may include your employer, independent contractors, property owners, and the manufacturers of faulty equipment.
- Investigation and evidence collection: We conduct a thorough independent investigation of your accident. We gather evidence to substantiate your claim, interview accident witnesses, and reconstruct the accident scene.
- Negotiation and settlement: We advocate on your behalf for a fair settlement with insurance companies and those responsible for your injuries.
- Litigation and trial representation: We will build a strong case and take your claim to trial if necessary.
Construction Accident Lawyer FAQ
A construction accident lawyer specializes in helping people injured in construction accidents. Some construction accident attorneys are also personal injury lawyers or workers’ compensation lawyers.
You should consult a lawyer as soon as possible after a construction accident. If you have to deal with insurance company negotiations, a workers’ compensation claim, or large medical bills, a construction accident lawyer can help.
Your lawyer can help with all kinds of accidents, including slips and falls, falling debris and objects, exposure to hazardous materials, collapsed scaffolding, crane collapses, electrocutions, burns, safety violations, unsafe equipment, and much more.
Your lawyer can investigate what happened in the accident. They can also decide whether to file a lawsuit and negotiate a claim with insurers and the responsible parties. If you do sue, they can prepare a winning case, pursue settlement negotiations, and try your case.
Whether you’ve been injured due to unsafe working conditions or a specific accident, a skilled scaffolding lawyer will work diligently to ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and losses
Anyone who has suffered a construction accident injury can file a claim. If your loved one lost their life because of a construction accident, you or a member of your loved one’s family might also be able to file a claim.
Your construction accident lawyer can help you recover health care costs, lost wages, survivor benefits, pain and suffering, and punitive damages, depending on the details of your case.
You should file a construction accident claim as soon as possible. Each state has a time limit for filing injury claims, called a statute of limitations. However, even if it’s been some time since your construction accident injury, you should take advantage of Meirowitz & Wasserberg’s free consultation to see how we can help.
Even if you are partially at fault for the accident, you can still seek compensation. An experienced construction accident lawyer can analyze your case and let you know how much your share of the fault will affect your recovery.
Meirowitz & Wasserberg provides a free consultation to see if we can help with your case. We offer contingency fee arrangements in which you pay nothing for legal services until there’s a successful recovery. If you don’t recover anything, we don’t get paid.
Experience, dedication, and a strong record of success are all essential. Read client testimonials and case results to make the right choice.
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I feel so blessed to have had Meirowitz & Wasserberg Law Firm represent my Husband and I in a great time of need in our lives. l highly recommend this firm. Daniel Wasserberg was the most personable, caring lawyer one could ever have. He was always there for our every need with compassion, loyalty and sincerity. He truly cares about his clients. I learned to love this man as a Son.
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