Construction Accident Lawyer in Tompkins County
Injured on a construction site in Tompkins County? NY Labor Law §240 may hold the property owner strictly liable. Free case review — (888) 702-1581.
Tompkins County is dominated by Cornell University and Ithaca College, and both institutions run capital programs that make the county one of the most active per-capita construction markets in upstate New York. Cornell's Ithaca campus has seen the construction of new engineering quads, the Klarman Hall humanities complex, and multiple new dormitories in the past decade, and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City creates additional construction management activity for Ithaca-based firms. Downtown Ithaca's Commons and Collegetown corridors have seen a wave of student housing and mixed-use mid-rise development that pushes technical construction skills beyond what a city Ithaca's size would typically require.
NY Labor Law §240 and §241 — What Every Worker in Tompkins County Should Know
Central New York's mix of healthcare facility construction, university projects, and highway work creates consistent Labor Law §240 exposure across the region.
New York Labor Law §240(1), known as the Scaffold Law, imposes strict liability on property owners and general contractors when a worker is injured due to a gravity-related hazard — a fall from scaffolding, a ladder collapse, a falling object. Strict liability means the owner's negligence does not need to be proved. If the safety device failed to provide proper protection, liability attaches.
§241(6) adds a parallel claim: any violation of the NY Industrial Code (12 NYCRR Part 23) that causes injury is also actionable. These two statutes together give injured construction workers in Tompkins County unusually strong legal footing compared to workers in any other state.
Workers' compensation is not your only option. §240 and §241(6) claims are separate civil lawsuits — you can pursue both simultaneously, and a third-party lawsuit typically produces substantially higher recoveries than comp alone.
Active Construction in Tompkins County — Where Accidents Happen
Tompkins County has seen significant construction activity in recent years, including Cornell University Ithaca campus capital construction program, Ithaca downtown Commons mixed-use redevelopment, Cayuga Medical Center expansion, Collegetown high-density student housing towers. These projects employ workers represented by Laborers Local 785, Carpenters Local 277, Operating Engineers Local 832 and other locals operating in the region.
Active construction zones are where §240 injuries occur. When an employer or GC fails to erect proper scaffolding, provide fall harnesses, or secure materials against falling, and a worker is hurt, the legal machinery of Labor Law §240 and §241(6) is available to that worker regardless of what their employer tells them.
Many workers in Tompkins County are told after an injury that workers' comp is their only option, or that they were partly at fault. Under §240 strict liability, comparative negligence is not a defense. The employer's or property owner's claim that "you should have been more careful" is legally irrelevant if a safety device failed.
Filing Your Claim: Supreme Court, Tompkins County
Construction accident lawsuits in Tompkins County are generally filed in the Supreme Court, Tompkins County, located at 320 N Tioga Street, Ithaca NY 14850. The court is part of New York's Appellate Division, 4th Department — the appellate body that reviews trial court decisions in Tompkins County cases. Understanding the appellate division matters because different departments have developed slightly different interpretations of §240's scope over decades of case law.
Deadlines matter. Under CPLR §214, you have three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim. However, the statute of limitations for wrongful death is two years, and claims against government entities may require a Notice of Claim filed within 90 days. Do not wait.
If you were treated after your accident at Cayuga Medical Center or another trauma center, your medical records will form a core part of your damages evidence. Preserving those records early, along with incident reports, OSHA logs, and witness contact information, protects your case.
Supreme Court, Tompkins County
320 N Tioga Street, Ithaca NY 14850
Union Locals Active in Tompkins County
Union members may have additional resources through their trust funds, but union membership does not affect your right to pursue an independent Labor Law §240 or §241(6) claim.
Common Questions About Construction Accidents in Tompkins County
Injured on a Tompkins County Construction Site?
Call (888) 702-1581 for a free case review. We handle §240 and §241 claims throughout Tompkins County and all of New York state. No fee unless we win.