Anyone who has spent enough time in Queens knows it has countless construction projects going on, and the Corona neighborhood is no exception. However, construction sites are almost always hazardous and are made even more dangerous by other’s negligence.

If you were injured working on or passing by a construction site, our lawyers can help hold the negligent parties responsible. Often, several individuals and businesses are responsible for the safe operations of a construction project. However, not everyone takes this responsibility seriously. In some cases, general contractors do not provide safety guidelines for workers or supply inadequate materials to complete the work. Other times, subcontractors hired to work on-site cause your injuries. Our team will also investigate the extent of the property owner’s liability and whether they knew about the hazard that injured you and withheld that information.

Call The Carrion Law Firm today at (718) 841-0083 for your free case review with our experienced Queens construction accident lawyers.

Common Causes of Corona, Queens Construction Accidents

The causes of construction accidents are as varied as the types of construction sites around Corona. Some projects are small, with only a few workers on site, while others are massive, with hundreds of workers and numerous pieces of heavy machinery. In either case, negligent contractors and others can violate regulations that lead to serious accidents.

One of the most common violations on a construction site is not providing adequate scaffolding, ladders, and other materials, which can lead to potentially deadly falling accidents. These accidents are so prevalent that L.A.B. Law § 240(1) allows contractors, property owners, and their agents to be held liable if they do not provide the proper protection. Scaffolding must be constructed to bear four times the maximum weight required. Other safety requirements are placed on scaffolding or staging higher than 25 feet from the ground. Our construction accident attorneys can investigate whether any of these provisions were violated.

Negligent electrical work also causes many dangerous construction accidents in Corona. Electrocutions can not only cause serious burns and nerve damage, but a large enough shock could stop the heart. These accidents regularly happen on construction sites because other workers fail to follow safety regulations or the electrician’s instructions when turning on the power. Other times, workers are injured because an electrician left live exposed cables without warning signs.

Crushing accidents are also common causes of construction injuries. Many result in long-term or permanent injuries, while others are fatal. Victims are often pinned down by heavy machinery, like forklifts and cranes, which are capable of doing incredible damage. If you are the victim, you are likely entitled to significant compensation. If your loved one did not survive the accident, we can help you file a wrongful death claim.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Construction Accident in Corona, Queens

Liability for a construction accident is often unclear. Working with an attorney after a construction accident is important because multiple parties might be responsible, depending on how the accident was caused. Contractors and property owners are typically at the top of the list to sue, but our investigation could turn up other liable parties. Because of this, you need to start your case quickly, as C.V.P. Law § 214(5) only gives you three years to determine who to sue and file your lawsuit.

Contractors

Our team first looks to general contractors and subcontractors when assessing liability. General contractors have a great deal of responsibility over the construction site and who is working on it. They are typically directly responsible for the site’s safety, including the materials and machinery used there. They also hire subcontractors and other workers as needed. Essentially, general contractors manage the daily operations of the construction site, so it is highly possible that their negligence contributed to your accident.

In other cases, a subcontractor’s carelessness caused your injuries. While subcontractors are generally not responsible for the overall safety of the construction site, they can be held liable if they do not manage their operations safely or leave work zones with unsafe conditions for others to find. If we learn that the subcontractor should never have been on the site, we might be able to sue them and the general contractor for negligently hiring practices.

Property Owners

Our firm will also investigate the property owner’s level of liability. Many property owners are not actively involved on construction sites, leaving project management to the general contractors they hire. This degree of separation often protects them from legal claims since they have little say in the safety procedures of the project. However, we might still be able to hold a property owner liable for a scaffolding accident under the law cited above.

Property owners can also be sued for construction accidents if they do not warn construction workers about a known danger on the site before starting the project. They might also be held liable if they did not do their due diligence in inspecting for hazards they should have and correcting them or disclosing them to the workers.

Other Parties

Countless other people come and go constantly from construction sites, so others not directly involved in the project could be responsible. For instance, truckers and other delivery drivers can cause an accident because they are unfamiliar with the layout of the site or are distracted by their phones. If a delivery driver hits you, we can file a lawsuit against them and possibly their employer under vicarious liability rules.

Some people are not on-site to work at all but to steal materials and tools. If a trespasser comes in the night, they might leave an area unsafe where it was safe when the workers left. Construction workers might return the next day only to be injured by scaffolding with removed metal or tools that have been tampered with. Our team can help track down those responsible if you are unsure who caused your injuries.

Our Construction Accident Lawyers in Corona, Queens Are Ready to Fight for You

For a free case evaluation with our construction accident attorneys, contact The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.