Long Island Tunnel Worker Injuries Lawyers

Like other types of construction work, working in Long Island’s tunnels can present many hazards to employees. If you were injured or exposed to a dangerous substance while on the job, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits and/or compensatory damages.

A tunnel worker injuries lawyer on Long Island, NY from Shulman & Hill can help you figure out how to handle your case, how much compensation you are eligible for, and much more.  Contact us today to schedule a free case review.

Tunnels Are Vital to Long Island

Long Islanders rely on tunnels to connect them to the rest of New York and to New Jersey. The region’s tunnels make it easier to get to and from work, visit family and friends, and enjoy recreational activities. Some of the more important tunnels for commuters and workers from Long Island are the:

• Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (the Battery Tunnel)
• Steinway Tunnel
• Queens Midtown Tunnel
• Joralemon Street Tunnel
• 63^rd Street Tunnel
• Montague Street Tunnel

Like any piece of infrastructure, tunnels require regular maintenance and repair work so everyone can use them safely. Also, new tunnels must sometimes be built to better accommodate the community’s needs. Building and maintaining those tunnels, though necessary, can be a risky job.

The Risks of Tunnel Work

Repairing and maintaining Long Island’s tunnels is a type of construction job. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), construction workers in the United States sustained 174,100 injuries in 2020. Of these, 74,500 injuries required the injured person to miss at least one day of work. In New York State alone, the BLS reports that construction and extraction workers sustained 6,350 nonfatal injuries.

Tunnel workers can sustain injuries in any number of ways. If any of the following happens to you, one of our lawyers on Long Island, NY can fight for compensation on your behalf:

• Being hit by a motor vehicle driven by either a coworker or someone who did not respect your construction zone
• Being buried in a tunnel collapse
• Contracting a serious illness from a chemical or other dangerous substance in the materials you work with or are exposed to in the course of your job
• Being hit or trapped by a piece of equipment
• Falling off a piece of equipment, like a ladder or a scaffold

OSHA Regulations Are Designed to Protect Tunnel Workers

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has numerous regulations designed to protect construction workers like you from accidents like those described above. For instance:

• Standard 1926.57 ensures proper ventilation in the workplace, which could reduce the harm posed by dust, chemicals, and other contaminants.
• Standard 1926.300 discusses what types of protections must be taken around dangerous tools, like power tools and grinders.
• Standard 1926.652 protects employees from cave-ins and other hazards associated with excavating a site.

It is every employer’s duty to follow these and other relevant standards.

Everyone Must Respect a Construction Worker’s Rights

Your employer is not the only one who has a responsibility to look out for the welfare of tunnel workers. New York State requires that regular vehicles give a wide berth to construction vehicles and their drivers. This is called the Move Over law. Violators could face fines and penalty points on their driver’s license.

Protect Your Rights

If you feel that your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, we encourage you to act. Depending on your situation, you could:

• Seek immediate medical attention to both treat the injury and establish a connection between the accident and the injury
• File a complaint with OSHA (you can do this even if you have not yet been injured by the alleged violation)
• File for workers’ compensation benefits from your employer
• Sue a liable third party for damages with the help of an attorney
• Hire a tunnel worker injury attorney on Long Island, NY from Shulman & Hill

This last step can be especially critical, as we can make sure you understand all your rights and that you take the most helpful possible actions.

Finding a Tunnel Worker Injury Lawyer Near Me on Long Island

Seeking help from a Long Island, NY tunnel worker injury lawyer is an excellent way to pursue fair compensation. Shulman & Hill would be happy to handle your case, no matter how difficult or complex it is. A Long Island tunnel worker injury attorney from our firm would:

• Determine whether you are entitled to workers’ comp benefits, a potential lawsuit against the liable party, or both
• Collect evidence from you, your employer, your coworkers, your doctor, any liable parties, and more to build up your case
• Identify who you can sue and calculate your damages
• Pursue the amount of compensation you deserve through whatever avenues are open to you
• Fill out and submit all necessary paperwork so you would not have to worry about making errors or missing deadlines
• Respond to all your questions about the case and the law and contact you with regular updates as your case progresses

We would be proud to provide all these services without charging any upfront attorney’s fees. Instead, we charge a contingency fee, meaning you owe us no fees until after you get your compensation.

One more advantage we offer: our firm handles both workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. No matter which type of compensation you qualify for, our firm can take care of your entire case for you. This would save you the time, money, and trouble of trying to hire two different law firms to handle the different aspects of your case.

How Much Compensation an Injured Tunnel Worker Can Get

In past cases, we have secured as much as $2.5 million for an injured construction worker. Your own settlement will depend on:

• How serious your injuries are
• How much work you missed
• How expensive your medical treatments were (and if you will need further treatment in the future)
• What percentage of responsibility the liable party bears for your accident
• Whether you qualify for workers’ compensation, a personal injury lawsuit, or both
• Other factors

In a lawsuit, we can assess your damages and seek the compensation you deserve.  We include the following in our assessment of your damages:

• Scar tissue, if your injury will never fully heal and you are left with disfiguring marks that cause pain, impact your appearance, and so on
• Medical bills, if you had to go to the hospital, undergo testing, have surgery, take medication, hire a homecare nurse, or travel a long way from home to receive any treatment
• Pain and suffering, if your injury was or continues to be physically painful, or if the accident itself caused psychological trauma
• Loss of wages, if you had to stay home from work for any length of time, causing you to lose valuable income and/or job benefits
• Disability, if you are temporarily or permanently unable to use any part of your body to the extent you did before
• Loss of earning capacity, if your injury makes it impossible to work the same number of hours or earn the same amount of money you once did
• Diminished quality of life, if your injury means you are no longer free to participate in ordinary activities or experience the same level of good health you had prior to the accident
• Attorney’s fees, so the liable party would end up covering our payment

One of our tunnel worker injury lawyers on Long Island could assess your case carefully, looking for each of these (and other) damages for which you may qualify. We know all the available types of compensation, so you would not end up forgetting anything or asking for less than you deserve.

Can a Tunnel Worker’s Relatives Get Compensation?

Yes, if the tunnel worker themselves does not survive long enough to seek compensation on their own.

The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) states that Long Island residents could be entitled to the following after losing a loved one to a work-related accident:

• Weekly cash payments for up to 52 weeks, if you are the deceased’s spouse or other dependent
• A one-time $50,000 payment, if you are the deceased’s parents and no other qualifying relatives exist
• Up to $12,500 to cover funeral expenses

Instead of or in addition to these benefits, you could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for the fatal accident. We can handle wrongful death cases in much the same way as personal injury cases: by collecting evidence, identifying the at-fault party, and pursuing a fair financial outcome.

We Represent Tunnel Injury Survivors

At Shulman & Hill, every case is personal to us. No matter how complicated your Long Island, NY case turns out to be, we would like the chance to help. To find out more about what our tunnel worker injuries lawyer can do for you, contact us online or call 516.613.3196. We can review your case at no cost or obligation to you.