Key Findings from the DOB Report
During National Construction Safety Week (May 4–8, 2026), the NYC Department of Buildings released its annual construction safety report with data through Q1 2026:
- 77 construction-related injuries citywide in Q1 2026
- 13 injuries in the Bronx (same as the year-end total for Q1 2025)
- 1 fatality in Q1 2026 (down 75% from same period in 2025)
- Worker falls remain the #1 incident type (15 incidents in Q1 2026)
- Material failures and mechanical equipment incidents tied as #2 cause (8 each)
Borough Breakdown — Q1 2026
| Borough | Injuries | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | 42 | 0 |
| Bronx | 13 | 0 |
| Brooklyn | 13 | 1 |
| Queens | 9 | 0 |
| Staten Island | 0 | 0 |
What Construction Workers Need to Know
If you're injured on a construction site in New York, you have multiple layers of legal protection:
Workers' Compensation
All employers in NY must carry workers' compensation insurance. Under WC Law Section 13-a, your employer's carrier must authorize medical treatment — and you pay nothing out of pocket. Recent changes (effective April 2026) now require all medical forms including RFA-2 to be submitted electronically.
NY Labor Law § 240 — The "Scaffold Law"
New York's Labor Law § 240(1) provides absolute liability for owners and general contractors when a worker is injured due to a gravity-related hazard (falls from height, falling objects). This is one of the strongest worker protection statutes in the country — if you fell from scaffolding, a ladder, or a roof, the building owner may be strictly liable regardless of your own conduct.
Third-Party Personal Injury Claims
Beyond workers' comp, injured construction workers can often bring a third-party negligence claim under Labor Law §§ 200 and 241(6) against property owners, general contractors, or equipment manufacturers. These claims can recover pain and suffering damages that workers' comp does not cover.
After a construction site injury in NYC:
- Report the injury to your employer immediately — delays can hurt your WC claim
- File a Workers' Comp claim — you pay nothing for medical treatment (WC Law § 13-a)
- Get evaluated by a specialist — orthopedic, neurological, and pain management evaluations document the full extent of injury
- Ask about Labor Law § 240 — if you fell from a height, you may have a strict liability claim
- Consult a construction injury attorney — WC + third-party claims can run simultaneously
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