Long Island Construction Accident Lawyer

Hill & Moin LLP represents construction workers injured on jobsites throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. If you need a Long Island Construction Accident Lawyer after a roofing fall, excavation accident, equipment incident, or another serious work injury, Hill & Moin lawyers can investigate the project, identify responsible parties, and determine whether workers’ compensation, a third-party lawsuit, or New York Labor Law provides a path to financial recovery.

Construction on Long Island ranges from single-family home renovations and roofing projects to multifamily developments, commercial construction, roadwork, utility projects, excavation, and major institutional work. Each type of project presents different hazards for the people doing the work.

How Dangerous Is Construction Work in New York?

The latest finalized federal data shows that 50 construction workers died from occupational injuries in New York State during 2024. Of those fatalities, 24 resulted from falls, slips, or trips. Specialty trade contractors accounted for 27 construction deaths.

Recent federal enforcement also provides a local example of these risks. In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a settlement involving a Long Island roofing contractor following an employee’s fatal 18-foot fall through an unprotected skylight at an Oyster Bay municipal building. OSHA’s investigation found workers had been exposed to falls of up to 22 feet at unguarded roof openings and edges.

OSHA records also show construction inspections at a Bay Shore project during 2025, including an inspection conducted under a fall-safety emphasis program.

These incidents demonstrate why fall protection, safe equipment, training, and proper jobsite supervision matter.

Common Long Island Construction Accidents

Long Island construction workers may spend their days on roofs in Nassau County, excavating utility lines in Suffolk County, renovating homes, building commercial developments, or working alongside traffic on road projects.

Serious accidents can involve:

• Falls from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds
• Unprotected skylights and floor openings
• Falling tools and materials
• Excavation and trench collapses
• Heavy-equipment accidents
• Forklift and vehicle incidents
• Electrical contact
• Defective power tools
• Structural collapses
• Road construction accidents

These incidents can cause spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, fractures, crush injuries, burns, amputations, nerve damage, and other permanent disabilities.

What New York Labor Laws Protect Injured Construction Workers?

New York provides several important protections for workers injured during construction.

Labor Law §200

New York Labor Law §200 requires covered workplaces to provide reasonable and adequate protection for workers’ health and safety. Machinery and equipment must also be placed, operated, guarded, and lighted to provide reasonable protection.

Cases involving §200 can depend on factors such as who controlled the work and whether an unsafe property condition contributed to the accident.

Labor Law §240(1)

Labor Law §240(1) addresses certain elevation-related hazards. Covered owners, contractors, and agents must provide appropriate devices such as scaffolds, ladders, hoists, ropes, and slings for workers performing qualifying work.

This law can be particularly important after Long Island roofing, scaffold, ladder, or falling-object accidents. It does not automatically apply simply because a worker fell, so the specific job and circumstances must be reviewed.

Labor Law §241(6)

Labor Law §241 covers construction, excavation, and demolition operations. Section 241(6) can support claims based on violations of applicable New York Industrial Code safety regulations.

You deserve a law firm that prioritizes your safety and recovery. Call Hill & Moin LLP to discuss which New York Labor Law protections may apply to your Long Island construction accident.

Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims

Workers’ compensation generally provides medical and wage-related benefits after a covered workplace injury without requiring the worker to prove negligence.

But workers’ compensation may not be the only option.

A third-party claim might involve a property owner, general contractor, subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or another company whose actions contributed to the accident.

A worker can potentially have both a workers’ compensation case and a third-party claim arising from the same accident.

What Compensation Can an Injured Worker Pursue?

The compensation available depends on which claims apply.

A third-party personal injury case may seek damages for medical expenses, lost earnings, diminished future earning capacity, future treatment, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and other legally compensable losses.

Serious injuries can prevent construction workers from returning to physically demanding jobs even after they recover enough to perform ordinary activities. Future earning capacity can therefore become a significant part of a claim.

What Evidence Matters After a Long Island Jobsite Accident?

Construction sites change quickly. A trench can be filled, scaffolding removed, equipment repaired, or a dangerous condition corrected soon after an injury.

Important evidence can include:

• Photographs and videos
• Witness information
• Incident reports
• Construction contracts
• Safety and training records
• Equipment inspection records
• Surveillance or site-camera footage
• OSHA records
• Medical documentation

Hill & Moin lawyers can also investigate the relationships among property owners, contractors, subcontractors, and employers to determine who controlled different portions of the project.

How Long Do You Have to Bring a Construction Injury Claim?

Different deadlines apply to different claims.

Many New York personal injury lawsuits are subject to a three-year statute of limitations under CPLR §214. Workers’ compensation has separate notice and filing requirements, while claims involving municipalities or other government entities can carry much shorter deadlines.

This can be especially relevant to roadwork or projects involving a town, county, school district, or other public entity.

Don’t wait until evidence is lost or a deadline approaches. Speak with a trusted New York injury attorney at Hill & Moin LLP about your construction accident as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions About Long Island Construction Accidents

Can I sue after falling from a roof?

Potentially. Roofing falls may involve Labor Law §240(1), depending on the work, parties, safety equipment, and circumstances surrounding the fall. OSHA’s recent Long Island enforcement involving fatal roofing falls illustrates the importance of proper fall protection.

Can I get workers’ compensation and still file a lawsuit?

Potentially. Workers’ compensation and a third-party personal injury claim are different legal remedies. An injured worker may qualify for both when someone other than the employer bears legal responsibility.

Does the Scaffold Law only cover scaffolds?

No. Labor Law §240(1) covers specified elevation-related risks and lists several types of safety devices, including ladders, hoists, slings, ropes, and scaffolds.

What if I was injured during a home renovation?

You may still have legal options, but Labor Law contains important exceptions, including provisions concerning owners of one- and two-family dwellings who contract for but do not direct or control the work. The facts should be evaluated individually.

What if heavy equipment caused my injury?

A claim may involve the equipment operator, contractor, owner, equipment rental company, manufacturer, or another party depending on what caused the accident.

Should I report the accident even if my injury initially seems minor?

Yes. Promptly reporting a workplace injury and obtaining appropriate medical care creates documentation of what happened and when symptoms began. Some injuries become more serious after the initial accident.

Contact Hill & Moin LLP After a Long Island Construction Accident

A construction injury can threaten both your health and your ability to continue earning a living in a physically demanding trade. Hill & Moin LLP can investigate the jobsite, preserve evidence, identify potentially responsible parties, and determine which workers’ compensation, third-party, and New York Labor Law options apply.

Call Hill & Moin LLP today to schedule your confidential, no-obligation consultation with a Long Island construction accident lawyer. Your case. Your future. Our priority.