Work Injury Claims in New York
A workplace injury can disrupt every aspect of your life — your income, your health, and your ability to support your family. New York's workers' compensation system provides a baseline of protection, but it does not always tell the full story of what you are owed. In many cases, injured workers have additional rights through third-party liability claims that workers' compensation does not cover. Arden Law Firm evaluates both paths and pursues the one that maximizes your recovery.
Workers' Compensation vs. Third-Party Claims
New York's workers' compensation system provides benefits for medical treatment and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault — but it bars most lawsuits against your employer and does not cover pain and suffering. However, if a third party — a contractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or vehicle driver — contributed to your injury, you may have a separate personal injury claim against them. This third-party claim exists alongside workers' comp and can include full lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages not available through the comp system.
New York Labor Law Protections
New York has some of the strongest worker protection statutes in the country. Labor Law Sections 200, 240, and 241 impose specific duties on property owners and general contractors for construction site safety. Particularly, Section 240 — the "Scaffold Law" — creates near-absolute liability for gravity-related injuries on construction sites, including falls from ladders, scaffolding, and elevated surfaces. These laws are powerful tools for injured construction workers and often result in significant recoveries.
Common Workplace Injuries We Handle
We represent workers injured in construction site falls and accidents, machinery and equipment failures, forklift and warehouse accidents, delivery driver and transportation injuries, exposure to toxic substances, repetitive stress and occupational disease, and assaults or violent incidents in the workplace. High-risk industries including construction, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare see the highest rates of serious work injuries.
Protecting Your Claim from the Start
After a workplace injury, employers and their insurers move quickly to limit their exposure — questioning the severity of injuries, disputing timelines, and pushing early settlements that undervalue claims. Arden Law Firm intervenes early to document injuries fully, preserve evidence at the accident site, identify all potentially liable parties, and ensure your workers' comp benefits and any third-party claims are protected from the first day.