Construction Accident Lawyer in Westchester County
Injured on a construction site in Westchester County? NY Labor Law §240 may hold the property owner strictly liable. Free case review — (888) 702-1581.
Westchester County is New York's third most populous county and a major construction market defined by the complexity of its dense suburban and urban fabric. The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals campus expansion in Tarrytown represents one of the largest private construction projects in the county's recent history, with new research and manufacturing buildings adding millions of square feet to an already sprawling bioscience campus. White Plains' downtown has seen a wave of high-rise residential tower construction following rezoning, and the MTA Metro-North improvements including the Bronx-Penn Access stations bring right-of-way construction activity through the county's urban corridors.
NY Labor Law §240 and §241 — What Every Worker in Westchester County Should Know
The Hudson Valley is in the middle of a development boom — waterfront projects, data centers, warehouse construction. Each new site is another place where a fall can happen and strict liability applies.
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 Westchester 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 Westchester County — Where Accidents Happen
Westchester County has seen significant construction activity in recent years, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals campus expansion, Tarrytown, White Plains downtown high-rise residential development, Metro-North Penn Station Access new stations, Westchester Medical Center new patient tower. These projects employ workers represented by Laborers Local 60, Carpenters Local 279, Iron Workers Local 417, Operating Engineers Local 137 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 Westchester 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, Westchester County
Construction accident lawsuits in Westchester County are generally filed in the Supreme Court, Westchester County, located at 111 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, White Plains NY 10601. The court is part of New York's Appellate Division, 2nd Department — the appellate body that reviews trial court decisions in Westchester 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 Westchester 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, Westchester County
111 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, White Plains NY 10601
Union Locals Active in Westchester 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 Westchester County
Injured on a Westchester County Construction Site?
Call (888) 702-1581 for a free case review. We handle §240 and §241 claims throughout Westchester County and all of New York state. No fee unless we win.