A serious work injury can threaten your paycheck, health, and family’s stability at once. In Queens, it may happen on a Long Island City construction project, in a Maspeth warehouse, at LaGuardia Airport, or inside a hospital, restaurant, or store.
Our Queens work injury lawyers determine whether injured workers have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party lawsuit, or both. We investigate who controlled the work, created the danger, and may be legally responsible.
Call the Perecman Firm at (212) 977-7033 or contact us online for a free case review. We will explain your options and identify the claims that may protect your future.
Table of contents
- Can a Queens Work Injury Lawyer Help With More Than Workers’ Compensation?
- Do Your Queens Work Injury Attorneys Handle Construction Accidents?
- How Can We Help You After a Fall at a Queens Workplace?
- What If Machinery, Equipment, or Electricity Caused the Injury?
- Do Repetitive Stress and Occupational Illnesses Count as Work Injuries?
- What New York Labor Laws Protect Injured Construction Workers in Queens?
- What Compensation Can I Seek After a Queens Work Accident?
- Work Injury Results That Reflect Detailed Case Preparation
- The Perecman Firm Is Built to Handle NYC Construction Accidents
- Frequently Asked Questions About Queens Work Injury Claims
- Talk With a Queens Work Injury Lawyer Today
Can a Queens Work Injury Lawyer Help With More Than Workers’ Compensation?
A Queens work injury lawyer should examine every available claim. Workers’ compensation and a third-party lawsuit serve different purposes, and you may qualify for both.
New York workers’ compensation generally pays approved medical care and part of lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident. It only matters that you sustained the injury while at work. It usually does not cover pain, suffering, or the full effect of a permanent injury. Understanding whether workers' comp pays for pain and suffering can help clarify what benefits are available and when another type of legal claim may be necessary.
While it protects you by providing some compensation without the need for a lawsuit, it also shields your employer from a costly employee negligence lawsuit. You generally cannot sue your employer under the workers' comp system, even when it may have been at fault.
A third-party lawsuit may be available when someone outside your employer contributed to the injury. Possible defendants include a property owner, contractor, equipment company, maintenance provider, or another business at the site.
| Claim | Who usually pays | What may be available |
|---|---|---|
| Workers’ compensation | Your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier | Medical care, partial wage replacement, and certain disability or death benefits |
| Third-party lawsuit | A negligent or legally responsible person or company | Medical and income losses, pain and suffering, reduced earning capacity, and other damages |
| Both claims | Separate carriers or defendants | Coordinated benefits and damages, subject to liens and other legal rules |
While workers’ compensation typically bars a worker from suing their employer, it does not prevent them from bringing a claim against an outside company that contributed to the accident.
Do Your Queens Work Injury Attorneys Handle Construction Accidents?
Our work injury attorneys handle falls, falling objects, collapses, defective equipment, electrical incidents, and other serious construction accidents. These cases may involve both workers’ compensation and claims against owners, contractors, or other responsible companies.
Projects across Long Island City, Jamaica, Flushing, Willets Point, and the airport areas may involve several contractors with overlapping duties.
Our Queens construction accident lawyers investigate site control, contracts, safety devices, reports, witnesses, and the work being performed.
How Can We Help You After a Fall at a Queens Workplace?
Workplace fall claims may involve a wet floor, broken stairway, unsafe loading dock, missing guardrail, obstructed aisle, defective ladder, or unprotected opening. The legal options available to you depend on where the fall occurred and who controlled the dangerous condition.
A fall in a store, warehouse, hospital, office, or restaurant may support a claim against a property owner, maintenance contractor, equipment provider, or another company. A qualifying construction fall may also give you a separate claim against an owner or contractor under New York Labor Law, even if you are already receiving workers' compensation benefits.
Our Queens workplace accident attorneys identify who created the hazard, who knew about it, and who had authority to correct it. We also preserve surveillance video, inspection records, maintenance documents, and site photographs before they disappear.
What If Machinery, Equipment, or Electricity Caused the Injury?
Machinery and electrical injuries often require an investigation beyond the immediate workplace report. A defective guard, altered safety switch, unstable lift, exposed wire, or poorly maintained machine may point to several responsible parties.
The Perecman Firm handles claims involving forklifts, conveyors, saws, presses, hoists, cranes, utility equipment, and commercial kitchen machinery. We examine who designed, owned, maintained, modified, and operated the equipment.
Our on-the-job injury lawyers in Queens may work with engineers, safety professionals, and medical specialists. Their analysis can connect the hazard to burns, crush injuries, amputations, brain injuries, spinal damage, or wrongful death.
Do Repetitive Stress and Occupational Illnesses Count as Work Injuries?
Repetitive stress conditions and occupational illnesses may qualify for workers’ compensation when the job caused or contributed to them. These conditions often develop gradually, making clear medical and employment evidence especially important.
Examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, hearing loss, respiratory disease, toxic exposure, and joint damage from repeated movement. The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board applies special timing rules to these claims.
Our Queens work accident attorneys can coordinate medical proof, job-duty records, and exposure evidence. We can also determine whether a manufacturer, property owner, contractor, or other outside company may share responsibility.
What New York Labor Laws Protect Injured Construction Workers in Queens?
New York Labor Law may give construction workers claims against owners, general contractors, and their agents. The section that applies depends on the work, the hazard, and each defendant’s role.
Labor Law § 240(1) Covers Certain Elevation Hazards
Labor Law § 240(1), commonly called the Scaffold Law, requires proper safety devices for workers engaged in the erection, demolition, repair, alteration, painting, cleaning, or pointing of a building or structure. It may apply to height-related falls or injuries caused by inadequately secured falling objects, which highlights the dangers of working on scaffolds and the importance of proper fall protection.
The law does not cover every fall. We examine the task, elevation risk, safety equipment, and defendants before deciding whether § 240(1) applies.
Labor Law § 241(6) Addresses Specific Safety Violations
Labor Law § 241(6) may support a claim when construction, excavation, or demolition work violates a specific Industrial Code safety rule. That rule must fit the hazard involved.
These claims can involve unsafe passageways, debris, machinery, excavation, temporary flooring, falling materials, and other regulated conditions.
Labor Law § 200 Requires Reasonably Safe Workplaces
Labor Law § 200 requires reasonable workplace protections. Liability often depends on who controlled the work or created or knew about an unsafe property condition.
These protections apply to qualifying construction work throughout the five boroughs. Our NYC construction accident lawyers examine the work being performed, the safety equipment provided, and each owner’s or contractor’s role in the accident.
That investigation helps us determine which owners, contractors, equipment companies, or other businesses may be responsible and which claims may provide compensation beyond workers’ compensation.
Call the Perecman Firm’s team of work injury lawyers at (212) 977-7033 for a free review of your case. We can examine the job, accident, responsible companies, and deadlines, and take immediate action before important evidence is lost.
What Compensation Can I Seek After a Queens Work Accident?
Available compensation depends on whether you have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party lawsuit, or both. A complete review should address current and long-term losses.
Workers’ compensation may provide medical treatment, partial wage benefits, and payments for certain permanent impairments. A third-party claim may also seek:
- Past and future lost income
- Reduced ability to earn
- Medical and rehabilitation expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Disability, scarring, or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages for eligible family members
A serious injury may change your work or end a career. We use medical, vocational, and economic evidence to document those consequences and the full impact they may have in the future, not only current bills.
Work Injury Results That Reflect Detailed Case Preparation
Our case results include substantial recoveries for workers throughout New York City and Long Island injured by falls, falling materials, unsafe machinery, and other jobsite hazards:
- $30 million for the family of a construction worker who fell 44 stories
- $19 million for a worker struck by a falling steel beam during crane operations
- $15.2 million for a worker injured in a fall from a frame ladder
- $11.8 million for a union worker whose scaffold fall caused a career-ending back injury
- $3.2 million for a plumber who lost two fingers on an unguarded table saw
- $2.575 million for a worker whose leg was crushed during facade installation
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, but we believe they reflect our commitment to fight for the maximum compensation available to every client. Each case depends on the injuries, evidence, defendants, available insurance coverage, and legal issues involved.
The Perecman Firm Is Built to Handle NYC Construction Accidents
When you need legal skill, case-building resources, and personal attention, we provide all three without treating your case like one file among thousands.
A Practice Built Around New York Work Injury Law
David H. Perecman founded the practice in 1983. He chaired the New York State Trial Lawyers Association’s Labor Law Committee and taught other attorneys about construction accident law. This foundation continues to shape our investigation, labor law analysis, and trial preparation.
Trial-Ready Resources for Serious Cases
We prepare every claim with litigation in mind. Our team may work with investigators, engineers, safety professionals, doctors, life-care planners, vocational specialists, and economists.
Other attorneys often refer serious, catastrophic injury cases to us when the claims involve multiple companies, disputed liability, or defendants with substantial legal and financial resources.
Personal Attention During a Difficult Recovery
A severe work injury can disrupt your health, income, and family life. We explain the case clearly, keep you informed, and handle the insurance companies and legal work with care so you can focus on your recovery.
“They did all the heavy lifting, keeping my involvement to a minimum. It was nearly a hands off experience for me.” –Kiamesha G.
Nearly $1 Billion Recovered and Broad Professional Recognition
The Perecman Firm reports nearly $1 billion recovered for clients. Our awards and recognitions include:
- Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for David H. Perecman
- The Best Lawyers in America®
- U.S. News’ Best Law Firms in America
- Super Lawyers® Top 100, New York Metro
- New York Law Journal “Top Verdicts in New York”
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers
These honors reflect decades of case preparation, courtroom experience, and service to injured New Yorkers. We bring that standard to each serious claim we accept.
We offer free case reviews and handle these claims on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Queens Work Injury Claims
Can I sue my employer after a work injury in New York?
Usually, you cannot sue your employer for ordinary negligence when workers’ compensation coverage applies. Narrow exceptions may exist, including cases involving an uninsured employer. You may still have a lawsuit against an owner, contractor, equipment company, or another third party.
Can I receive workers’ compensation and file a third-party lawsuit?
Yes, receiving workers’ compensation benefits does not prevent you from pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against a property owner, contractor, equipment company, or another third party that contributed to your injury. Our Queens work injury lawyers focus on identifying and pursuing those third-party claims.
What if my employer calls me an independent contractor?
An independent contractor label does not always determine your legal status. New York looks at the actual working relationship, including control over your schedule, duties, tools, supervision, and payment. We examine those facts before determining which claims apply.
How long do I have to file a Queens work injury claim?
Workers generally must notify the employer within 30 days and file a workers’ compensation claim within two years. Most New York personal injury lawsuits have a three-year deadline under Civil Practice Law and Rules § 214, but shorter deadlines can apply. Consult with our Queens workplace accident attorneys as soon as possible to protect your right to pursue compensation.
Can undocumented workers bring work injury claims in New York?
Yes, immigration status generally does not prevent an eligible worker from receiving New York workers’ compensation benefits. Undocumented workers may also bring third-party injury claims, although immigration issues can affect how certain wage losses are evaluated.
Does the Perecman Firm handle union and nonunion work injuries?
Yes, we represent union and nonunion workers across New York. We have handled cases for construction tradespeople, warehouse workers, drivers, service employees, and others injured while doing their jobs.
How much does a Queens work injury lawyer cost?
The team of personal injury lawyers at the Perecman Firm provides a free case review and handles claims on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we obtain compensation for you. Workers’ compensation attorney fees require approval and are generally paid from an award rather than charged upfront.
Talk With a Queens Work Injury Lawyer Today
You may have more than one claim after a workplace accident, and each claim may involve different companies, benefits, damages, and deadlines. Our Queens work accident attorneys can identify those paths and explain their effect.
Call The Perecman Firm at (212) 977-7033 or contact us online for a free case review. We will examine every potential claim and explain what comes next. There is no pressure or obligation, and you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.