New York City Unsafe Construction Work Equipment Lawyer
Construction workers are at risk of injury on the job every day in New York City. Still, you have the right to expect that your working conditions will be as safe as reasonably possible. If you’re hurt because your work equipment was somehow faulty or unsafe, you may have the right to financial compensation to cover your losses.
Our NYC construction accident lawyers at Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers have over 40 years of experience helping clients get the money they deserve after an accident. We don’t back down when insurance companies try to minimize your injuries. Instead, we work even harder to get you the most compensation possible.
To learn more about our personal injury law firm, call an experienced NYC unsafe construction work equipment lawyer today. Your consultation is 100% free.
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How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help if I Was Hurt By Unsafe Construction Work Equipment?
Our lawyers understand the risks that you take on the construction site every single day to make a living. When you’re hurt, we want to help you get the most possible compensation for your injuries.
Unfortunately, just because you’re entitled to compensation doesn’t mean it will be easy to get. Insurance companies hire teams of defense lawyers who have one job: reducing or denying your claim for compensation. Having an experienced, respected personal injury attorney in your corner levels the playing field.
At Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers, our experienced New York City personal injury attorneys handle every aspect of your case. When you hire us, we will:
- Investigate to find the cause of your accident
- Identify all responsible parties who might be required to pay you compensation
- Fight back when those parties try to put the blame on someone else
- Work with experts to form an insurance demand that fairly values both the past and future costs of your injuries
- Negotiate with the insurance company to get the most compensation possible
Understanding your legal rights is critical to getting the compensation you deserve. To learn more about how a lawyer can help in your specific case, give us a call today. Your consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Injuries Caused by Unsafe Construction Work Equipment in New York?
In the course of any given day, you might use multiple types of work equipment on the construction site. All of that equipment should be carefully maintained to make sure it’s as safe as possible. Importantly, it should also be designed and manufactured to be safe for the job at hand.
Anyone who contributed to the dangerous work conditions might be legally responsible for damages. In most cases, property owners, general contractors and companies that make the unsafe equipment are ultimately responsible.
New York Labor Law Section 200: Property Owners & General Contractors
New York labor laws place responsibility for ensuring a safe work environment on property owners and general contractors. Section 200 makes those parties responsible for ensuring reasonably safe conditions, including by:
- Providing all necessary protective equipment
- Inspecting construction equipment and tools
- Making all needed repairs to keep the construction work equipment reasonably safe and fix any defects
- Training the workers who will be responsible for operating equipment on site
- Supervising the job site to make sure the equipment and tools are used properly
Ignoring these responsibilities is negligence. If the person responsible was your employer, workers’ compensation will usually provide the money you need. You might also be able to sue for additional damages.
Equipment Manufacturers
The company that made the equipment could also be responsible under product liability laws. Generally, equipment manufacturers have a duty to provide equipment that is reasonably safe for its intended use.
Sometimes, a different design or an added safety feature can prevent injuries.
An equipment manufacturer might be liable if:
- The product lacked adequate safety warnings
- The equipment was not designed or manufactured in accordance with government regulations or Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules
- The equipment wasn’t properly assembled
- The equipment had a design flaw that made it unreasonably dangerous
You don’t have to prove negligence to hold an equipment manufacturer responsible in some cases. If the work equipment was unreasonably dangerous, the product manufacturer might be strictly liable for your injuries.
We Handle All Unsafe Construction Work Equipment Cases in New York City
At Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers, we can help if you were hurt in an accident involving:
- Scaffolding
- Nail guns
- Heavy machinery, including cranes and forklifts
- Excavators
- Loaders
- Backhoes
- Air compressors
- Compactors
- Drills
- Hand saws
- Power tools
Our personal injury lawyers have been handling cases like these for more than 40 years. We know what to look for to prove that unsafe construction work equipment caused your injuries. If you were hurt using a piece of equipment on the job, don’t hesitate to call for a free consultation today.
Injured Construction Workers Often Face a Difficult Recovery From Serious Injuries
Construction equipment is usually dangerous to operate even under the best of circumstances.
When the equipment is dangerous by design or poorly maintained, the risk of injuries is only magnified.
Construction accident victims often suffer serious injuries, including:
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Crush injuries
- Severe burns
- Puncture wounds
- Burn injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Loss of limbs
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
While the treatment itself is unique to the injury, injured construction workers almost always face expensive medical bills and time off the job. Our lawyers can help you get the money you need to handle these challenges.
How Long Do I Have to Decide Whether to Fight for Compensation in New York?
You don’t have an unlimited amount of time. Under New York law, you only have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit.
To preserve your right to workers’ compensation, you have to notify your employer within 30 days. You also have to file your formal claim with the workers’ compensation board within two years.
If you’re considering pursuing your right to financial compensation, call our New York City personal injury lawyers to discuss your case today. We can get to work immediately to make sure you don’t miss out on valuable benefits.
What Damages Are Available if I Was Hurt By Unsafe Construction Work Equipment?
You probably know that you have a right to workers’ compensation benefits if you were hurt on the job. You might not know that you could also be entitled to file a lawsuit against whoever caused your injuries.
Even though you can’t sue your employer, you might be able to file a lawsuit against negligent third parties who caused the unsafe work condition. Those parties might include:
- Property owners
- General contractors
- Third-party vendors
- Equipment manufacturers
- And more
Importantly, you don’t have to choose one or the other. That’s why it’s always important to speak with a personal injury lawyer early in the process. We will analyze every aspect of your accident to see who should be held financially responsible for damages.
New York Workers’ Compensation
Under normal circumstances, you can usually begin receiving workers’ compensation benefits fairly quickly–within about two weeks. When you’re hurt in a work-related accident, workers’ compensation pays:
- Your medical expenses
- About ⅔ of your lost wages
- Death benefits to survivors
- Occupational therapy if you’re unable to return to your old job
While valuable, workers’ compensation rarely covers all of your expenses–and it provides nothing for things like pain and suffering. Many other injured workers face challenges to their claim or might be forced to go back to work before they’re recovered.
Third-Party Claims Process
A third-party claim is another term for a personal injury lawsuit. Identifying the cause of your accident and responsible parties is key to finding out whether you have a claim. If a third party’s negligence even contributed to the construction site accident, our lawyers will fight to recover compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Anticipated future medical costs
- Lost wages and salary
- Loss of your ability to earn a living in the future
- Physical therapy and rehab
- Medical devices
- Modifications to your home and vehicle
- Long-term care costs
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Emotional distress
- PTSD
- Damages for wrongful death
In other words, you should be entitled to fair compensation to cover both actual out-of-pocket expenses and the injury’s impact on your life.
After you’re hurt, however, you don’t just get the money handed to you. You have to ask for it in an insurance demand or personal injury claim. Our lawyers work with the best experts available to get the full amount of compensation you deserve–even for costs that you will likely incur in the future.
Contact an Experienced Construction Accident Lawyer in NYC for Help Today
If you were seriously hurt on the job, it can be hard to know where to turn for help. If you handle your injury case alone, you might never know whether you got the full amount of compensation you deserve. Our work injury lawyers are here to fight to protect your legal rights.
At Rosenbaum Personal Injury Lawyers, your initial consultation with an experienced NYC unsafe construction work equipment lawyer is always free. Give us a call today if you were hurt on the job and want to learn more about your right to compensation.