Construction injury representation
Built around the evidence that decides serious cases.
Construction-accident cases require immediate investigation, detailed knowledge of New York’s worker-safety laws, and careful preparation from the beginning.
Matthew Voelpel represents workers and families affected by serious jobsite injuries throughout New York. Each case begins with identifying every responsible party, securing the contracts and safety records that define the project, preserving physical and electronic evidence, and developing the medical proof needed to show the full effect of the injury.
A workers’ compensation claim may provide benefits through an employer, but it does not always address the responsibility of an owner, general contractor, construction manager, equipment company, or another third party. These potential claims should be evaluated promptly and separately.
Worker-safety protections
New York Labor Law claims.
New York law places important safety responsibilities on certain owners, contractors, and their agents. Which provisions apply depends on the work, the accident mechanism, the parties, and the evidence.
Elevation-related risks
Claims involving ladders, scaffolds, hoists, falling objects, and other gravity-related hazards where appropriate safety devices were not provided or failed.
Construction safeguards
Claims based on violations of specific New York Industrial Code safety requirements governing construction, excavation, and demolition work.
Safe workplaces
Claims involving dangerous premises conditions or unsafe methods of work, analyzed together with common-law negligence principles.
Types of cases
Construction accidents we handle.
- Ladder falls
- Scaffold collapses and falls
- Falling objects and materials
- Unprotected openings and edges
- Crane and hoisting accidents
- Excavation and trench accidents
- Unsafe stairs and temporary structures
- Power-tool and equipment injuries
- Demolition accidents
- Electrical and burn injuries
Project responsibility
Looking beyond the immediate employer.
The company issuing a paycheck is only one part of a construction project. Property ownership records, construction agreements, insurance policies, daily reports, safety logs, permits, and witness testimony can reveal which entities had legal responsibilities at the site.
Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties may include:
- Property owners and developers
- General contractors and construction managers
- Subcontractors whose work created a hazard
- Equipment owners, lessors, manufacturers, or maintenance companies
- Other entities with authority over the work or unsafe condition
Protecting the claim
What to do after a construction accident.
Medical care comes first. The incident should also be reported accurately, and photographs, witness information, work messages, clothing, footwear, tools, and damaged safety equipment should be preserved when possible. Avoid signing statements or authorizations you do not understand.
Deadlines can be substantially shorter when a municipality, public authority, or government project is involved. Early investigation also creates an opportunity to document the site before conditions change and obtain records before they are lost.