What a construction accident case looks like in New York

A New York construction accident attorney is outlining the legal path injured workers often face after a jobsite injury, from evidence gathering to settlement or trial. The process matters because construction remains the state’s deadliest occupation, with 50 fatalities in 2024. Why it matters: - Construction remains New York’s deadliest occupation. - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 50 construction fatalities in New York in 2024. - Falls accounted for 58% of those deaths. - Injured workers often have to recover physically while a legal case moves forward in parallel. - The legal process can affect medical costs, lost wages, and pain-and-suffering recovery. What happened: - Christopher J. Gorayeb, founding partner of Gorayeb & Associates, P.C., described how his New York construction accident firm handles cases from accident to settlement. - Gorayeb said the firm begins investigating immediately after a construction accident. - Gorayeb & Associates is a New York personal injury law firm focused on construction accidents. - The firm says injured workers are not expected to manage the insurance process directly. The details: - The firm photographs the scene, collects video evidence, and pulls OSHA and police reports during the investigation phase. - The NYC Department of Buildings recorded 638 construction incidents in 2024. - The NYC Department of Buildings said 482 workers were injured in building construction alone in 2024. - Gorayeb & Associates consults accident reconstruction engineers, medical experts, and other specialists. - The firm identifies potentially liable parties including employers, contractors, property owners, and equipment manufacturers. - The firm calculates case value across medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. - Gorayeb said insurance adjusters are trained to minimize payouts, so the firm handles communication with insurers during settlement talks. - Gorayeb said most cases settle at the negotiation stage. - If a fair settlement does not materialize, Gorayeb & Associates goes to trial. - Gorayeb said the firm has spent decades in New York courtrooms and is prepared to take a case to verdict when the evidence supports it. - The firm assigns each client a dedicated case manager as a single point of contact throughout the case. Between the lines: - The process described is built to shift the burden of documentation, negotiation, and legal strategy off the injured worker. - The emphasis on multiple liable parties suggests construction injury cases can involve more than a single employer or site owner. - The settlement-first approach reflects how many injury cases resolve before trial, but trial remains a pressure point when insurers resist payment. What’s next: - Injured workers typically move from investigation to valuation, then into settlement talks, and potentially trial if negotiations fail. - More cases may continue to hinge on early evidence collection, expert review, and detailed damage calculations. - The firm’s point of contact model suggests ongoing case management through each stage of the claim. The bottom line: - In a New York construction accident case, the legal work starts fast, broadens to identify every liable party, and often ends in settlement — but trial remains an option when the evidence demands it.