Construction workers injured in New York have up to three years to file a personal injury lawsuit and can often pursue both a workers' compensation claim and a separate lawsuit against the property owner or general contractor. New York gives construction workers stronger legal protections than almost any other state, producing settlements from $75,000 for moderate injuries to over $1 million for falls, crush injuries, and permanent disability. Porter Law Group has recovered over $500 million for injured clients across New York. Call 833-PORTER9 for a free, no-obligation case review.
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New York construction accident cases involve multiple liable parties, overlapping insurance policies, and worker protection laws that most injured workers have never heard of. Insurance carriers for general contractors and property owners deploy aggressive defense teams from day one, and the Insurance Research Council found that represented victims recover an average of 3.5 times more than those who handle claims alone. An attorney familiar with Onondaga County Supreme Court and the Fifth Judicial District also knows how the local defense bar operates, which shapes settlement strategy long before trial.
A Syracuse construction accident lawyer handles five core tasks that injured workers cannot effectively manage on their own:
See Porter Law Group's verified case results for examples of recoveries we have secured for construction accident victims across New York.
The steps you take immediately after a construction site injury protect both your health and your legal rights. Follow these steps in order.
Syracuse construction accident cases generally settle higher than standard personal injury cases because injuries tend to be severe and New York's worker protection laws are unusually favorable. Every case is evaluated individually based on medical evidence, the strength of liability, and the full impact on the victim's life.
| Injury Severity | Typical Settlement Range | Examples |
| Minor or soft tissue | $15,000 to $75,000 | Minor lacerations, sprains, or bruising from a site slip with full recovery |
| Moderate | $75,000 to $300,000 | Fractures treated without surgery, soft tissue injuries with partial recovery |
| Serious | $300,000 to $1,000,000 | Surgery required, permanent work restrictions, chronic pain, significant scarring |
| Catastrophic | $1,000,000 or more | Paralysis, amputation, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, wrongful death |
Economic damages cover all measurable financial losses. This includes medical bills from emergency care through future surgeries and rehabilitation, lost wages, reduced earning capacity if the injury changes what work you can do, and any home care your injuries require.
Non-economic damages cover the personal cost of the injury. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and the toll on your relationships are all recoverable. New York imposes no cap on these damages in most construction accident cases.
Punitive damages are available in cases where a property owner or contractor showed extreme disregard for worker safety, such as knowingly ignoring required fall protection requirements to cut costs.
Factors that increase case value include severe and well-documented injuries, permanent impairment, clear liability, multiple defendants with large insurance policies, and high pre-injury earnings. Factors that decrease value include delayed treatment, gaps in treatment, pre-existing conditions, and disputed facts about how the accident occurred.
Three legal principles shape almost every construction accident claim filed in Syracuse.
The Deadline To File
Most construction accident lawsuits must be filed within three years of the accident date. If the property is owned by the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, or a state agency, a Notice of Claim must be filed within just 90 days or the claim is forfeited entirely, regardless of its merit. Workers' comp claims carry separate and shorter reporting requirements, which the New York State Workers' Compensation Board publishes for injured workers to review.
New York's Scaffold Law
New York is one of the only states where property owners and general contractors are held fully responsible when a worker is injured in a fall from height or struck by a falling object, whether from a scaffold, ladder, roof, or any elevated surface. What makes this law extraordinary is that it removes the usual debate about worker carelessness. Even if the worker made a mistake, the property owner and general contractor remain liable. According to OSHA, falls account for nearly 40% of all construction fatalities nationally, and New York's Scaffold Law is why serious fall cases here produce some of the highest verdicts in the country.
Workers' Compensation And Your Third-Party Lawsuit
Workers' comp is the only claim you can bring against your direct employer, covering medical bills and a portion of lost wages but not pain and suffering. If the property owner, general contractor, or equipment manufacturer also contributed to your accident, you can file a separate personal injury lawsuit against them while still collecting workers' comp benefits. Learn more on our Syracuse workers' compensation lawyer page.
Porter Law Group represents injured construction workers across every type of job site accident in Syracuse and Onondaga County.
Falls And Elevation Accidents
Struck-By And Caught-In Accidents
Related Claims That Often Arise From Construction Injuries
Our Syracuse personal injury lawyers handle all related injury claims across Onondaga County.
The injuries below are the most frequent in construction accident cases, each carrying distinct treatment requirements and compensation implications.
Fall injuries. Falls from scaffolding, roofs, ladders, and elevated platforms produce some of the most serious injuries in any practice area. Outcomes range from multiple fractures to spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injury, and New York's Scaffold Law positions these cases particularly well for injured workers.
Traumatic brain injury. A blow to the head from a fall or falling object can cause anything from a concussion to severe permanent impairment affecting memory, speech, and behavior. These are among the highest-value claims in construction accident law.
Spinal cord injuries. Damage to the spinal cord from a fall or crush accident can produce partial or complete paralysis. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, lifetime care costs for serious spinal cord injuries routinely exceed $5 million.
Fractures. Simple wrist or ankle fractures carry moderate case value, while fractures of the spine, pelvis, or femur requiring surgical fixation produce significantly higher settlements and often result in permanent restrictions.
Crush injuries. Being caught between machinery or trapped under collapsed materials can cause catastrophic tissue damage, internal organ injury, and limb loss, and these cases involve some of the highest verdicts in construction accident law.
Talk To A Syracuse Construction Accident
You may have two separate claims and not know it. Call 833-PORTER9 and we will review both.
Most Syracuse construction accident cases resolve within 18 to 30 months, though cases requiring trial can take up to five years.
Porter Law Group has recovered over $500 million for injured clients across New York. Our Syracuse construction accident practice is built on four principles.
No fee unless we win. All construction accident cases are handled on a contingency basis. You pay nothing out of pocket, and our fee is a percentage of the recovery, only if we win.
Free, no-obligation consultations. Hospital and home visits are available when you cannot travel. Our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Local Syracuse trial experience. Cases tried before Onondaga County Supreme Court judges, with deep familiarity of the local defense bar and how regional insurance carriers operate.
Direct attorney access. You will speak with the attorney handling your case, not just a case manager or paralegal.
Read client testimonials and review our verified case results to see how we have helped Syracuse families recover. Meet the attorneys who will handle your case on our Attorneys and Staff page.
You have three years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in New York. If the property was owned by the City of Syracuse or Onondaga County, a separate Notice of Claim must be filed within just 90 days or the claim is forfeited entirely. Workers' compensation also has its own shorter reporting deadlines, so contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Yes. Workers' comp covers medical bills and a portion of lost wages but does not pay for pain and suffering, and it is limited to claims against your direct employer. If the property owner, general contractor, or equipment manufacturer contributed to your accident, you can file a separate personal injury lawsuit against them while still receiving workers' comp. These are two separate claims with two separate values.
New York's Scaffold Law holds property owners and general contractors fully responsible when a construction worker is injured in a fall from height or struck by a falling object. Even if the worker made a mistake that contributed to the accident, the property owner and general contractor remain liable. This protection does not exist in most other states, and it is a primary reason why serious construction fall cases in New York produce some of the highest verdicts in the country.
Porter Law Group handles construction accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and nothing unless we recover compensation for you. The standard fee is one third of the recovery, with case expenses advanced by the firm and reimbursed only if we win. Initial consultations are always free.
Under New York's Scaffold Law, the property owner and general contractor are responsible for fall and falling object injuries regardless of worker carelessness. For other types of construction accidents, New York's comparative fault rule still allows you to recover compensation even if you were partly responsible, with your award reduced only by your percentage of fault. Do not accept your employer's assessment before speaking with an attorney.
Founder and managing partner of Porter Law Group. Harvard University (B.A., 1994), Syracuse University College of Law (J.D., 1997). Former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain, Airborne Training School graduate. Super Lawyers 14 consecutive years, 10.0 Superb on Avvo, Distinguished rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Over 20 years of trial experience and $500 million in recoveries.
Reviewed by Michael S. Porter, J.D. | Last updated: [April, 2026]
Our construction accident lawyers represent injured workers on job sites throughout Onondaga County, from downtown Syracuse to residential builds and infrastructure projects across the region.
Porter Law Group represents construction accident victims throughout the City of Syracuse and across Onondaga County, including Downtown, Eastwood, Westvale, Strathmore, Tipperary Hill, University Hill, and surrounding neighborhoods.
We also serve Liverpool, Cicero, DeWitt, Camillus, Manlius, Solvay, North Syracuse, Baldwinsville, Skaneateles, Fayetteville, East Syracuse, and all other Onondaga County towns and villages.
Major roadways we cover include Interstate 81, Interstate 690, Interstate 90 (the New York State Thruway), Route 481, Erie Boulevard, James Street, and Salina Street.
Local hospitals we routinely coordinate with include Upstate University Hospital, St. Joseph's Health, Crouse Hospital, and Community Memorial Hospital.
Visit our Syracuse, NY location page or browse our statewide office locations to find the nearest Porter Law Group office.
Read our latest updates on the Porter Law Group blog.
If you or a loved one was injured on a construction site anywhere in Syracuse or Onondaga County, contact Porter Law Group for a free, no-obligation consultation. We will review your case and outline your options at no cost and with no obligation to retain our firm.
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