Struck by Vehicle on Construction Sites in Queens, NY
Labor Law 240 Claims
Injured in a struck by vehicle on construction sites on a Queens construction site? Under Labor Law 240, owners and contractors bear absolute liability. Free consultation — no fee unless we win.
Struck by Vehicle on Construction Sites in Queens: What Workers Need to Know
Queens is one of New York City's most active construction markets, with 48,000 active permits and roughly 780 major construction sites at any time. NYC Department of Buildings data shows 2,900 construction injury reports filed annually in Queens alone. Falls account for the majority — including struck by vehicle on construction sites, which involve the type of elevation-related hazard that Labor Law 240 (the "Scaffold Law") was enacted to address. When a Queens construction worker is hurt in a struck by vehicle on construction sites, New York law places full liability on the property owner and general contractor — not the injured worker.
Labor Law 240 in Queens
New York Labor Law § 240 — the Scaffold Law — creates absolute liability for owners and general contractors when a worker is injured by an elevation-related hazard. The liability standard is: absolute.
In Queens, every construction project — from a mixed-use development like Flushing Waterfront to a single-family renovation — is covered. The contractor's failure to supply adequate scaffolding, ladders, or fall-protection equipment triggers liability regardless of the worker's own actions.
How Struck by Vehicle on Construction Sites Happen
Understanding the mechanics of a struck by vehicle on construction sites matters in a Labor Law 240 case — it determines which specific duty the owner or contractor breached.
Backing vehicle in blind zone
Dump trucks, concrete mixers, and excavators have large blind zones directly behind the cab. A worker who steps into the path of a reversing vehicle while the operator is looking at a spotter or guide is invisible to the operator. The vehicle's mass — 30,000 to 80,000 pounds for a loaded dump truck — means that even at low speeds (2-3 mph), contact with a pedestrian produces crush injuries to the lower extremities, pelvis, and abdomen that are frequently fatal.
Swing-radius contact from rotating equipment
The counterweight and cab of a hydraulic excavator swing through a full 360-degree arc during normal operation. Workers who enter the swing radius — often to communicate with the operator or retrieve materials — are struck by the counterweight without warning. The counterweight moves at a fixed angular velocity that translates to 8-12 mph at the tip. Contact at that speed delivers forces equivalent to a motor vehicle accident.
Public vehicle intrusion into work zone
NYC construction on or adjacent to public roadways creates interface zones where public vehicles can enter the site. When jersey barriers, cones, or flaggers are insufficient or absent, a distracted or impaired driver can strike workers who have no opportunity to react. Construction workers on roadway sites are killed by vehicle intrusion at a rate 3 times higher than workers in fully enclosed sites.
Where Queens Cases Are Filed
Queens County Supreme Court
88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435
11th Judicial District · Second Department
- High volume
- Diverse plaintiff population
- Many immigrant workers
Major Construction Sites in Queens
Struck by Vehicle on Construction Sites risks are concentrated wherever large projects operate. These are the highest-activity sites in Queens right now:
Flushing Waterfront
Mixed-use development
$3 billion
Under construction
Willets Point Redevelopment
Mixed-use/Stadium area
$3 billion
Approved, starting
JFK Airport Redevelopment
Airport/Infrastructure
$18 billion
Under construction
Trauma Centers in Queens
These are the accredited trauma centers that receive the most serious Queens construction injuries. Medical records from these facilities become key evidence in your claim.
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
8900 Van Wyck Expressway, Jamaica, NY 11418
Level I trauma center serving southern and eastern Queens; primary receiving hospital for JFK Airport-area construction incidents.
Elmhurst Hospital Center
79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373
NYC Health + Hospitals Level I trauma center serving Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona, and the LIC/Astoria construction corridor.
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
56-45 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355
Level II trauma center serving Flushing, Whitestone, and northeastern Queens.
Union Locals in Queens
The primary unions covering Queens construction workers are: LIUNA Local 66, LIUNA Local 79, IBEW Local 3, Carpenters Local 157, Ironworkers Local 40. Full list includes 15 active locals on Queens job sites.
Union membership does not limit your Labor Law 240 rights. Your union cannot negotiate away your right to sue the property owner for an elevation-related injury. Workers' compensation from your union fund and a personal injury lawsuit are separate claims — you are entitled to both.
OSHA Standards That Apply to Struck by Vehicle on Construction Sites
29 CFR 1926.501 — Fall Protection - General Requirements
6,763 citations in FY2024 nationwide. OSHA citations for this standard on a Queens job site are admissible in a Labor Law 241(6) claim.
29 CFR 1910.1200 — Hazard Communication
3,111 citations in FY2024 nationwide. OSHA citations for this standard on a Queens job site are admissible in a Labor Law 241(6) claim.
New York's Industrial Code Rule 23 (12 NYCRR Part 23) adds state-specific requirements on top of OSHA. A violation of Rule 23 that proximately caused your injury can establish liability under Labor Law 241(6), independent of Labor Law 240.
Queens Construction History
1939 World's Fair grounds, Flushing Meadows (1936-1939) — Built atop the former Corona Ash Dump (the 'valley of ashes' from The Great Gatsby). Required draining marshland and moving more than seven million cubic yards of fill in three years. The compressed schedule and unstable ground produced repeated cave-ins and caisson injuries that informed the first NY State excavation-shoring standards now in 12 NYCRR 23-4.
Frequently Asked Questions: Struck by Vehicle on Construction Sites in Queens
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This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Case outcomes depend on the specific facts of your situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Haddock Law is a referral network connecting injured workers with licensed New York attorneys who handle Labor Law 240 cases on a contingency basis.