New York City Construction Accident Lawyers

Decades of aggressive legal advocacy protecting injured victims and grieving families

You know how demanding and dangerous your work as a New York construction worker can be. You constantly use or are surrounded by heavy machinery, do your job in unforgiving and hazardous environments, and work at great heights.

While you can protect yourself from injuries by staying vigilant, other people around you, whether a coworker or your boss, may fail to do the same. A construction accident can drastically change the course of your life in a second, leaving you injured, terrified, uncertain of your future, and unsure where to get the help you need to get by.

The skilled and compassionate New York construction accident lawyers of Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman, P.C., have personally witnessed the devastating life-altering results of various construction accidents. But you don’t need to handle the burden on your own. Let our lawyers get you the financial compensation you surely deserve.

Attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman P.C. have successfully recovered more than $800 million in compensation for injured victims, boasting some of the largest verdicts and settlements in New York City history. Our outstanding case results for a New York City client who was struck by a bus and received a $20 million verdict was recognized and noted as the 5^th largest win to date in the New York Law Journal Verdicts & Settlements Hall of Fame.

We are aggressive litigators and are committed to securing the best possible results for clients. We have a long history of winning, and have also been awarded two placements in New York’s Top Verdicts of 2017.

With a reputation for excellence throughout all five boroughs, our team of top trial lawyers and prominent New York litigators bring more than 80 combined years of experience to each and every case, fighting aggressively on behalf of injured workers and the families who have been devastated by the unnecessary loss of their loved one in a construction accident due to the negligence of another party. We recover the maximum compensation allowed for your claim under New York state law.

Secure The Compensation You Need to Rebuild Your Life with Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman, P.C.

Whether your construction accident involved a dangerous ladder or scaffold, insufficient fall protection, hazardous equipment or chemicals, or improper training, among others, it’s in your best interest to discuss your case with a New York construction accident lawyer right from the start to obtain proper legal representation.

Yes, you will most likely recover some compensation from your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. But in most cases, construction accidents involve third parties that require thorough investigation to pursue a personal injury claim that will completely cover your injuries, lost income, and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and mental anguish, among others.

If our lawyers determine that you have a valid claim outside of the workers’ comp insurance system, the general contractor, property owner, or product or equipment manufacturer, among other third parties, may be held responsible for your damages. In this case, these third parties’ insurance providers will be liable for compensating your losses. Without the guidance of a New York construction accident attorney, these insurance providers will surely take advantage of your situation.

Insurance providers are first and foremost for-profit businesses, and they are not above using underhanded tricks to protect their profits, including rejecting valid claims or devaluing them. They will also try to get you to settle your claim for an amount that is significantly lower than the real value of your claim. Your lawyer can prevent insurers from implementing these tactics and build a solid claim for your damages by:

• Investigating the circumstances that led to the construction accident
• Looking for any indication of employer (or other third parties) negligence
• Collecting the necessary evidence and working with relevant experts to figure out fault for the accident and liability for your losses
• Calculating the full value of your claim
• Pursuing maximum compensation for your damages, whether through a settlement or in a trial

If you were hurt, or a loved one died in a construction accident, you have all the right to receive proper compensation to help rebuild your life. Although money can’t bring back what you lost in the construction accident, it can ease the financial burden you’re facing.

The New York construction accident lawyers of Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman, P.C., have ample experience fighting for injured clients, and we can assure you that we will do our best to secure the compensation you rightfully deserve. 

Can I get Compensation in a Construction Accident Case?

At Lipsig Law Firm, we get results. Personal injury and construction accident law is our firm’s primary focus and our skilled team of experienced lawyers aggressively fight to secure justice and maximum compensation for our clients. Our construction accident attorneys have successfully obtained several multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients who suffered construction-related injuries, including:

• $20 Million Verdict – We helped obtain a $20 million verdict for our client, a NYC construction worker, who was injured while working in an excavation trench in the Bronx. When a hole collapsed on him due to inadequate shoring, the power saw he was using caused severe lacerations to his face and chest, as well as back, neck, and shoulder injuries. Our construction accident attorneys proved his employer was legally responsible for the injuries and the jury awarded our client $20 million for pain and suffering, lost earnings, and medical expenses.
• $8 million verdict – We proved to a jury that our client’s lumbar disc herniation and required surgeries were the result of a defective scaffolding fall our client experienced three years earlier. The jury awarded a verdict of more than $6,000,000, and when legal interest is added, the total amount recovered by our firm will be over $8,000,000.
• $2.6 million – Our attorneys recovered $2.6 million for our client when he fell through a defective outdoor scaffold on a roof renovation project and sustained severe knee and back injuries.

What type of Construction accident can lead to a claim?

Construction is the very lifeblood of New York City, but the nature of construction work is hazardous, whether it involves working on scaffolding several stories high or in trenches several feet below the ground. Heavy, powerful machinery and equipment frequently used in construction work pose a serious risk of injury. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the Department of Labor, has safety standards in place for construction work, construction accident injuries are on the rise. Types of construction-related accidents include:

Ladder falls – Ladders, scaffolds, and joists: equipment that allows workers to reach heights is critical to the completion of a construction project. It’s also inherently dangerous, it only takes an unstable surface or falling object to cause a fall from a ladder. Even a fall of a few feet can cause injuries that require long-term, extensive, costly medical care. For construction workers, the unexpected medical expenses and time off work can be devastating.

Although OSHA has outlined rigorous protocols to protect the lives and livelihoods of workers who scale structures. However, falls from ladders, scaffolding, and other construction structures and equipment are still incredibly common; they’re the leading cause of death in the construction industry, which is why our NYC construction accident attorneys will not rest until we obtain the compensation for our clients deserve after a serious fall. A few of the ladder fall accident cases we have won include:

• $4.5 million settlement – obtained a $4.5 million settlement for our client, a construction worker, who fell 15 feet when a ladder slipped out during construction work, causing injuries to both of his heels and necessitating surgery to both lower legs.
• $3 million – Our team successfully recovered $3 million for our client, a roofer, who sustained a ladder fall and fractured his left leg, requiring four surgeries.
• $3 million – When our client, a laborer, fell from an unsecured ladder, he suffered multiple fracture dislocations to his foot, and required three separate surgeries. Our construction accident attorneys recovered $3 million for him, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Scaffolding falls – When it comes to construction, scaffolding is a critical piece of equipment. More than 65% of construction workers use scaffolding regularly, and in New York City, that number may be higher, as the number of construction sites is higher than in other parts of the U.S. The frightening truth is that hundreds of thousands of workers are injured in scaffolding accidents each year, many right here in New York City and surrounding boroughs.

According to New York state law, it doesn’t matter whether your employer was actively negligent in causing your fall. It doesn’t matter whether you were partially responsible for the accident. And, it doesn’t matter how much control your employer had over the unsafe equipment. If your employer failed to provide the “proper protection”, and you were injured by the scaffolding, they can be held legally responsible in a civil lawsuit. At Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman P.C. we fight for maximum compensation for injured workers and our results speak for themselves, including:

• $2.8 Million – Verdict won after a construction worker fractured ribs and injured his spine due to a defect in scaffolding which caused him to fall.
• $1.75 Million – Verdict won for a man who suffered from back injuries, a fractured pelvic, and brain trauma from a scaffolding fall.

Electrocution –Electrocution is the third most common construction accident according to OSHA, accounting for almost 10% of all worker fatalities. Electric shocks can be catastrophic, resulting in severe burns or nerve damage leading to permanent disability, or death. More often than not, it is the property owner’s negligence that led to the hazard in the first place. Owners of commercial and residential property have a simple responsibility to workers – maintain safe electrical systems at all times.

Many property owners do not take their responsibility seriously. Our NYC construction accident lawyers take every accident and every negligent action seriously and are dedicated to protecting the rights and financial future of those injured by electrocution or other construction accidents.

Crane accidents – Cranes, hoists and derricks are critical to most NYC major construction projects. But such large, powerful machines are inherently dangerous. With a poorly-trained operator at the controls, these massive tools can become unwieldy, deadly weapons. If cranes are not properly maintained, or were defectively designed from the start, they can prematurely release their loads. Workers have been crushed by falling objects, suffering severe head trauma and permanent disability.

Building or roof collapse – When a building or roof collapses due to foreseeable human error, and workers are injured, the structure’s designers or contractors may be legally liable for the accident due to negligence, inadequate or improper materials or shoddy construction.

Falling debris – Over 10% of all worker deaths, and 37% of the injuries that require hospitalization, are directly caused by falling objects. Injured workers often suffer debilitating head trauma, which can lead to life-long complications like Traumatic Brain Injury, and the risk of back and neck injury is high.

Forklift accidents – Tens of thousands of injuries are caused by defective or improperly operated forklifts every year. Much like car crashes, many forklift-related accidents are caused by operator fatigue. In this case, employers may be legally responsible for forcing workers to labor on unreasonable schedules. According to federal law, forklift operators must be trained and certified to do the job. In addition, forklifts must be operated only by persons over the age of 18. If an uncertified operator causes personal injury, their employer may be legally responsible.

If you or someone you love has suffered a construction-related injury – whether minor or serious – contact us today for a free case review – you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

What’s the difference between workers’ compensation and personal injury lawsuits?

All states require some form of workers’ compensation that provides compensation to workers who are injured on the job, regardless of who is at fault for the workplace accident. However, the compensation that can be recovered under workers’ compensation is usually less than what a worker can recover in a personal injury lawsuit. And not all workers’ compensation laws apply to every lawsuit filed by an injured worker. Personal injury lawsuits offer the potential for higher damage awards.

Can I Sue for a Personal injury construction accident?

Personal injury lawsuits revolve around the issue of negligence. And when the laws that are in place to protect construction workers from sustaining workplace injury are not enforced and the worker suffers injury or fatality, our firm believes that the negligent party should be held accountable. Under Sections 200, 240 and 241 (6) of New York State Labor Laws, an injured worker may have a claim against a general contractor or owner, depending upon the type of construction accident:

• Section 200 requires owners and contractors to take measures to provide safe workplaces and protect workers
• Section 240 , which is also known as the ‘scaffold law”, protects the rights of workers if they have been struck by a falling object or are injured in a high fall
• Section 241 specifies safety measures that must be carried out and safety equipment that must be provided at a work site

Can I get compensation for my medical bills?

We fight for New York City workers who have suffered injury in construction accidents. Instead of simply accepting whatever workers’ compensation you may be offered, contact one of our experienced construction accident attorneys to explore your options and discuss the compensation you may recover under personal injury law. Medical bills, surgeries, lost work time, and pain and suffering are significant losses and we believe that the negligent parties should pay.

Our team works on a contingency basis, so you do not pay anything until we successfully recover compensation for your injuries. Contact a member of our team today to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your construction-related injury. We can be reached at 917-268-6710 or contact us online. We have two very convenient locations to serve you at 40 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038 (Main) and our Brooklyn Office at 823 56th St. 6th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11220.