Albany Construction Accident Lawyer

Were you injured in a construction accident in Albany, NY?

At Buttafuoco & Associates, we help injured workers across New York pursue full recovery after serious construction accidents.

If you were hurt on an Albany construction site, more than one company may owe you compensation, and identifying each of them is where your claim starts. Our Albany, NY construction accident lawyer can investigate the site before the evidence disappears, identify every contractor and owner that ignored safety rules, and pursue the wages and medical costs your injury has caused. At Buttafuoco & Associates, complex construction claims are led by partners who have tried these cases and negotiated six- and seven-figure settlements for injured workers. Reach out to schedule a free consultation and learn what your case involves.

Construction Accident Lawyer Albany, NY

A construction accident claim is a civil case brought by an injured worker, or their family, against the parties whose unsafe practices caused the harm. It is separate from a workers’ compensation claim, which pays limited benefits through an employer no matter who was at fault. When a property owner, a general contractor, or another company on the site created the danger, an injury claim can seek the full losses that workers’ compensation leaves behind, from lost earning capacity to the pain of a lasting disability. That extra recovery often makes the difference for a worker who cannot return to the same trade.

Falls remain the deadliest hazard in the trade. BLS construction data recorded 370 fatal falls among construction and extraction workers nationwide in 2024, and New York’s building sector carries the same risks on every high-rise, bridge, and roadway project in the Capital Region. Our Albany construction accident attorneys focus on proving how a safety failure led to your injury and which of the companies on that job should answer for it.

Types of Construction Accident Cases We Handle in Albany

Construction sites surround workers with heights, heavy machinery, and the mistakes of every other trade on the job. We handle the full range of injury claims that come out of those sites for workers throughout the Capital Region. These are the cases our attorneys see most often.

• Falls from heights. Falls from scaffolds, ladders, and roofs cause many of the worst injuries in the industry. One-third of construction deaths trace back to falls, trips, and slips. We work to show that the fall protection the job required was missing, defective, or ignored.
• Falling objects. Tools, materials, and debris dropped from above can fracture a skull or crush a hand in an instant. We examine whether netting, toe boards, and barricades were in place, and who on the site was responsible for putting them there.
• Trapped by a collapse. Trench cave-ins, wall failures, and structural collapses can bury or crush a worker before anyone can react. These cases turn on shoring, bracing, and the decisions that were made before the ground ever gave way.
• Construction vehicle accidents. Cranes, forklifts, dump trucks, and other equipment cause severe injuries when they are operated or maintained carelessly. We look at operator training, inspection records, and the contractor responsible for the machine.
• Construction defects. Faulty materials, defective equipment, and poor workmanship can injure workers long after a phase of the job is finished. We trace the defect back to the manufacturer, installer, or contractor who introduced it.
• Back injuries. A fall from height, a heavy lift, or a load dropped from above can herniate a disc or fracture a vertebra. These injuries often require surgery. They can keep a worker off the job for months or end a career in the trade.
• Traumatic brain injuries. A fall from a scaffold or a blow from a falling object can cause a concussion or a lasting brain injury. Damage of this kind can affect memory, concentration, and a worker’s ability to return to skilled labor.
• Neck injuries. A sudden jolt, a fall, or repeated heavy lifting can herniate a cervical disc or tear the soft tissue in the neck. The pain and lost motion that follow often keep a worker off the job for months.
• Workers’ compensation claims. Every injured worker is entitled to benefits through their employer, and we help protect that claim while we build a separate case against any liable third party. Knowing which injuries qualify keeps both avenues open from the start.

Why Choose Buttafuoco & Associates as Your Construction Accident Lawyer in Albany, NY?

Complex Construction Claims Handled by Partners

Construction cases at the firm are led by Mark Freeley, who has spent more than twenty years handling complex construction site and serious-injury cases from investigation through trial. He has taken nearly a thousand depositions in accident cases and has negotiated hundreds of six- and seven-figure settlements. James McCarthy handles construction claims alongside his other trial work. Both belong to the state trial lawyers association. Our personal injury lawyers in Albany, NY know that a construction scene changes within days. That is why we move quickly to photograph conditions and secure records before they are gone.

Settlements for Injured New York Workers

Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for construction workers hurt on the job, including several results Mark Freeley obtained for clients injured in falls and scaffold failures. Past construction recoveries include:

• A $1.3 million settlement for a union painter who suffered spinal injuries when a scaffold collapsed.
• A $1.25 million settlement for an ironworker who shattered his kneecap in a fall from an unsecured ladder.
• A $690,000 settlement for a stone setter who was shocked by exposed wiring and fell from a scaffold.
• A $500,000 settlement for a sheet-metal worker whose arm was crushed by a falling 600-pound beam.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

What Is Important to Understand About a Construction Accident Case?

What Are Important Aspects of a Construction Accident Case?

The hardest part of most construction cases is not proving that someone was hurt. It is sorting out who is responsible. A single site can involve an owner, a general contractor, and a dozen subcontractors, and more than one may share the blame. Workers’ compensation adds another layer. An injured worker can collect benefits through an employer and still bring a separate claim against a negligent third party, but those two tracks have to be coordinated so one does not quietly reduce the other. Preserving physical evidence is equally urgent. Job sites are cleaned up, repaired, and rebuilt within days, so the photographs, inspection logs, and witness accounts that decide these cases have to be preserved early. Federal workplace-safety rules are enforced across the region by OSHA’s Albany office. What its inspectors find can carry weight in a civil claim.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Construction Accident Cases

Liability rests on a straightforward duty: the owners and contractors who control a site owe the workers on it a safe place to work. When they ignore that duty and someone is hurt, they can be made to pay. Deciding who is liable requires a close review of the contracts and roles of everyone on the project. That is why these claims reward early and thorough investigation. Compensation reaches well past a workers’ compensation check. An injured worker can pursue past and future medical care, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and the pain and physical limits the injury leaves behind. New York places no cap on what a jury may award for those losses. When a worker is killed, the family can bring a claim for their own losses. A construction injury claim must generally be filed within three years under CPLR 214, so an early review protects your deadline. These cases are typically brought in Albany County Supreme Court.

What Is the Construction Accident Case Timeline?

Construction cases proceed through a familiar sequence, though how long it takes depends on the severity of the injuries and the number of defendants involved.

1. We investigate the site, gather records, and identify every company that had a role in the work.
2. We file suit against the responsible parties and begin exchanging evidence in discovery.
3. Depositions put supervisors, safety officers, and coworkers on the record under oath.
4. We press for a full settlement, and most cases resolve at this stage.
5. If no fair offer comes, we take the case to trial.

What Should You Bring to Your Construction Accident Consultation?

You do not need a full file of paperwork to meet with us, but a few things help us evaluate your case quickly. If you have them, bring any accident or incident report, the names of your employer and the other contractors on the site, photographs of where and how you were hurt, your medical records and bills, and any workers’ compensation paperwork you have received. Notes about what you were doing and what failed are just as useful as the formal documents. The first meeting is free, and we will give you a straight answer about whether you have a claim worth pursuing and what the next steps would be.

Reach Out to Buttafuoco & Associates to Schedule a Consultation

You should not have to shoulder the cost of a serious construction injury on your own. At Buttafuoco & Associates, the first consultation is free. Contact us to speak with our Albany, NY construction accident lawyer, who can review what happened and explain your options. There is no obligation to continue. When you reach out, we will respond promptly and treat your case with the care it deserves.