Hill & Moin LLP represents people suffering from traumatic brain injuries after serious accidents throughout Richmond County. If you need a Staten Island NY Brain Injury Accident Lawyer, Hill & Moin lawyers can investigate how the head trauma occurred, identify potentially responsible parties, preserve important evidence, and pursue compensation for the medical, financial, and personal consequences of the injury.
Brain trauma can result from a crash on the Staten Island Expressway, a pedestrian collision along Hylan Boulevard, a fall at a commercial property, or an accident on a construction site. Unlike some injuries, a traumatic brain injury may not be obvious at the scene. Symptoms involving memory, concentration, balance, sleep, or personality can become clearer over the hours or days that follow.
What Causes Traumatic Brain Injuries on Staten Island?
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can occur after a direct impact to the head or when sudden movement causes the brain to move inside the skull.
Common causes include:
- Car and truck crashes
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian and bicycle collisions
- Construction accidents
- Falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolds
- Slip and fall accidents
- Falling objects
- Dangerous property conditions
Staten Island’s transportation patterns make motor vehicle accidents especially relevant. Major roads include the Staten Island Expressway, Richmond Avenue, Hylan Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, Forest Avenue, and Richmond Road.
NYC DOT reported 13 traffic fatalities on Staten Island in 2025, compared with 12 during 2024. Across New York City, total traffic fatalities fell from 253 in 2024 to 205 in 2025. Preliminary citywide injury data through December 15 also showed total traffic injuries declining 7.7%, from 51,540 to 47,557.
NYPD continues to publish Staten Island traffic statistics weekly, providing more current information on fatal crashes in the borough.
What Symptoms Can Follow a Brain Injury?
Not every TBI produces the same symptoms. A mild traumatic brain injury may cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, memory problems, sleep changes, sensitivity to light or noise, and difficulty concentrating.
More serious injuries can cause seizures, speech problems, impaired movement, personality changes, cognitive disabilities, or loss of independence.
The effects can also interfere with employment. Someone who previously drove professionally, worked construction, operated machinery, or performed mentally demanding work may have difficulty returning to the same occupation.
Prompt medical evaluation is important after significant head trauma, particularly when symptoms worsen or new neurological problems appear.
Who Can Be Responsible for a Staten Island Brain Injury?
Liability begins with determining what caused the accident.
A driver may be responsible for a motor vehicle collision. A trucking or delivery company could become relevant in a commercial crash. A landlord, store, or property owner might bear responsibility for an unsafe premises condition.
Other cases involve several potentially responsible parties. Construction accidents, for example, can involve an owner, general contractor, subcontractor, equipment company, or manufacturer.
New York’s comparative negligence system also allows responsibility to be divided among the parties. Being partly responsible for an accident does not necessarily prevent an injured person from pursuing damages, although the person’s share of fault can reduce the recovery.
Brain Injuries From Staten Island Construction Accidents
Construction workers are particularly vulnerable to brain trauma because many jobs combine heights, heavy materials, machinery, and constantly changing work areas.
NYC Department of Buildings data shows that Staten Island had three construction-related injuries through October 2025, compared with none during the same period of 2024. No construction fatalities were recorded in the borough during that 2025 reporting period.
Citywide, worker falls caused 137 construction-related injuries and five fatalities through October 2025. The complete 2025 DOB report subsequently recorded 320 construction-related injuries across the five boroughs, the lowest annual total in more than a decade, although fatalities increased to 10. DOB notes that its figures cover building construction and exclude projects such as road and transit infrastructure work.
A worker can sustain brain trauma after falling from a roof or scaffold, being struck by materials, or becoming involved in a heavy-equipment accident.
What New York Labor Laws May Apply?
Labor Law §240(1) requires covered owners, contractors, and their agents to provide specified safety devices for qualifying elevation-related work. The statute specifically addresses devices such as scaffolds, hoists, ladders, slings, and ropes.
Labor Law §241 provides protections during construction, excavation, and demolition work. Labor Law §200 may also become relevant to unsafe workplace conditions or methods.
An injured worker may have workers’ compensation benefits and, depending on the circumstances, a separate Labor Law or third-party claim.
If a construction accident caused your brain injury, contact Hill & Moin LLP to determine which legal options may be available beyond workers’ compensation.
What Compensation Can a Brain Injury Claim Include?
The full financial effect of a TBI may not be known immediately.
| Potential Loss | Examples |
| Medical treatment | Hospitalization, neurological care and medication |
| Rehabilitation | Cognitive, occupational, physical or speech therapy |
| Lost income | Earnings missed during recovery |
| Future losses | Reduced earning capacity and continuing care |
| Pain and suffering | Physical, cognitive and emotional consequences |
A catastrophic TBI may also require home modifications, personal assistance, vocational rehabilitation, or long-term supervision.
Hill & Moin can evaluate medical documentation and evidence showing how the injury has affected work, independence, family responsibilities, and everyday activities.
What Evidence Is Important in a Brain Injury Case?
Brain injuries present an unusual evidentiary challenge because many symptoms cannot be seen in an ordinary photograph.
Medical evidence may include neurological examinations, CT scans, MRIs, cognitive testing, rehabilitation records, and documentation of symptoms.
Evidence establishing the accident itself can include:
- Police or incident reports
- Surveillance and dash-camera video
- Accident-scene photographs
- Witness statements
- Vehicle data
- Construction records
- Safety and equipment records
- Employment documentation
Family members and coworkers may also provide important information about changes in memory, communication, concentration, behavior, or independence after the accident.
What Is the Deadline for Filing a Brain Injury Lawsuit?
New York CPLR §214 generally provides a three-year limitations period for personal injury actions.
Not every case follows the same deadline. Claims involving New York City or another government entity can have additional notice requirements.
The need to preserve evidence makes prompt investigation important even when the legal filing deadline is years away.
Don’t wait while video, vehicle evidence, or construction records become harder to obtain. Contact Hill & Moin LLP for a confidential review of your Staten Island brain injury claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Staten Island Brain Injuries
Can I have a brain injury without being knocked unconscious?
Yes. Loss of consciousness is not required for every traumatic brain injury. Symptoms following significant head trauma should be medically evaluated.
Can a crash cause a brain injury if my head never struck the vehicle?
Yes. Rapid acceleration and deceleration can create forces that affect the brain even without a direct impact to the head.
What if my symptoms started a day or two after the accident?
Some symptoms may become noticeable after the initial accident. Seek appropriate medical care and provide an accurate history of when the trauma occurred and when symptoms developed.
Can a construction worker file a brain injury lawsuit?
Potentially. Workers’ compensation may provide benefits, while a Labor Law or third-party claim may exist against an owner, contractor, manufacturer, or another responsible party.
What if imaging does not show my symptoms?
Imaging is only one component of brain injury evaluation. Doctors may consider neurological examinations, symptoms, cognitive testing, medical history, and other clinical evidence.
How much compensation is available for a traumatic brain injury?
There is no fixed amount. Compensation depends on liability, injury severity, medical costs, lost earnings, future care, permanence of symptoms, pain and suffering, and other case-specific factors.
Contact Hill & Moin LLP About a Staten Island Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury can affect how a person thinks, works, communicates, and manages everyday life. Hill & Moin LLP can investigate the underlying accident, preserve evidence, identify potentially responsible parties, and document how the injury may affect both present needs and the future.
Call Hill & Moin LLP today to schedule your confidential, no-obligation consultation with a Staten Island brain injury accident lawyer. Your case. Your future. Our priority.