Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
A serious jobsite injury can affect your health, your income, and your ability to return to work. A construction accident lawyer in Oyster Bay can help you understand workers’ compensation claims, third-party lawsuits, and the deadlines that may affect your case.
Our team at Shulman & Hill represents injured construction workers, delivery drivers, site visitors, and families after serious accidents. The firm serves injured people across New York City and Long Island, helping make legal support more accessible in many communities.
You can also learn more about related claims through an Oyster Bay workers’ compensation lawyer.
Who We Help and the Claims We Handle in Oyster Bay
Construction accidents can affect many different workers and visitors. We help laborers, electricians, roofers, plumbers, masons, delivery drivers, and other people hurt on or around active jobsites in Oyster Bay.
Many injured workers have both a workers’ compensation claim and a possible third-party lawsuit. Workers’ compensation may cover medical treatment and part of your lost wages, while a lawsuit may seek additional damages from a negligent contractor, owner, or equipment company.
If a family member died after a construction accident, surviving relatives may also have wrongful death claims and workers’ compensation death benefits available. Our Oyster Bay personal injury lawyers can review your case and let you know what type of claim you may have.
Common Construction Hazards and Causes of Injury
Construction sites involve heavy equipment, elevated work areas, electrical systems, and moving materials. Small safety failures can quickly turn into serious injuries.
Common causes of construction accidents include:
- Falls from ladders, roofs, scaffolds, or open edges
- Falling tools, debris, or building materials
- Forklift, crane, or heavy-equipment accidents
- Electrical shocks and burn injuries
- Trench collapses and unsafe excavation work
- Defective power tools or missing safety equipment
Some injuries happen because proper safety systems were missing. Others happen because contractors ignored site conditions, rushed work, or failed to supervise crews safely.
Your Rights Under New York Labor Laws
New York labor laws provide important protections for construction workers. Property owners and general contractors may be responsible when unsafe conditions cause injuries on a jobsite.
Labor Law §241(6) applies to construction, excavation, and demolition work. If safety rule violations contributed to your injury, those violations may support a separate liability claim beyond workers’ compensation.
The Scaffold Law: Labor Law §240(1)
New York’s Scaffold Law applies to gravity-related accidents involving falls from heights or injuries caused by falling objects. If ladders, scaffolds, harnesses, hoists, or other safety devices were missing or defective, owners and contractors may be held liable.
These cases often involve roof work, elevated platforms, scaffolds, or unfinished structures. An Oyster Bay construction injury lawyer can review whether Labor Law protections apply to your accident.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits You May Claim
Workers’ compensation usually covers reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to your work injury. It may also provide wage replacement benefits if your injury keeps you from working.
New York wage benefits are generally based on a percentage of your average weekly wage and disability level, subject to state limits. Benefits may apply to temporary or permanent injuries.
Workers’ compensation benefits may include:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation care
- Partial wage replacement benefits
- Schedule loss of use awards for some permanent injuries
- Vocational assistance in limited situations
- Death benefits for eligible surviving family members
Workers’ compensation does not cover pain and suffering. In some cases, a separate lawsuit may allow you to seek additional damages.
Third-Party Lawsuits After a Construction Accident
A third-party lawsuit may be possible when someone other than your employer contributed to the accident. These claims are common in construction cases involving subcontractors, property owners, equipment companies, or outside vendors.
We look closely at site control, equipment maintenance, supervision, and safety practices to determine who may share responsibility. Defective ladders, scaffolds, power tools, and safety harnesses can also create product liability claims.
Even if workers’ compensation benefits are already being paid, a lawsuit may still move forward. A construction site accident lawyer in Oyster Bay can explain how both claims may work together.
What to Do After a Jobsite Injury
Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. New York law generally requires notice within 30 days, and delays can create problems with your claim.
Get medical care right away and tell your provider the injury happened at work. Save photos, videos, witness names, and information about the contractors or supervisors involved at the site.
It can also help to avoid recorded insurer statements before you understand your rights. Early mistakes sometimes affect both workers’ compensation claims and third-party lawsuits.
Helpful steps after a construction injury may include:
- Reporting the accident in writing
- Following your treatment plan closely
- Saving records, bills, and prescriptions
- Taking photos of the worksite and equipment
- Keeping track of missed work and physical limitations
Deadlines and Statutes That Affect Your Case
New York workers generally must file a workers’ compensation claim within two years of the accident or discovery of a work-related illness. Notice to the employer is usually required within 30 days.
Most negligence lawsuits tied to construction accidents must be filed within three years of the injury. Wrongful death claims generally have a two-year deadline from the date of death.
Cases involving government entities can move much faster. A Notice of Claim may be required within 90 days in some situations involving public projects, municipal property, or government-related construction work.
How Shulman & Hill Builds Your Case in Oyster Bay
We review accident reports, medical records, witness statements, photos, and available job-site evidence. Our team also examines contractor relationships, insurance coverage, OSHA records, and possible Labor Law violations.
Medical evidence plays a major role in these claims. We work to document restrictions, ongoing treatment needs, lost income, and the long-term effects of your injuries.
Shulman & Hill is built on a record of strong case results, giving clients confidence that their claim is backed by proven outcomes and real recoveries. Whether you need help with workers’ compensation, a third-party lawsuit, or both, a construction accident lawyer in Oyster Bay can help you understand the next steps.
Contact an Oyster Bay Construction Accident Lawyer
A construction injury can leave you dealing with medical treatment, missed work, and uncertainty about the future. Shulman & Hill helps injured workers and families pursue compensation and accountability after serious jobsite accidents.
An Oyster Bay construction accident lawyer can review your situation, explain the claims available, and discuss what steps may make sense for your recovery. Contact our legal team directly to talk through your options.
