Contractor Liability
Lendlease Construction Accident Liability in New York
Lendlease is an international contractor that has managed construction on some of New York's highest-profile projects. Workers injured at Lendlease sites may have direct claims under New York Labor Law 240 and 241 regardless of which sub employed them.
Free Case ReviewAbout Lendlease
Lendlease is an Australian multinational construction, property, and infrastructure company founded in Sydney in 1958 by Dutch immigrant Dick Dusseldorp. The company expanded aggressively internationally, and its U.S. operations — operating under the Lendlease name — became a major presence in the New York construction market.
Lendlease's New York portfolio includes landmark projects. The company was the construction manager for One World Trade Center during key phases of the project — the replacement for the twin towers destroyed on September 11, 2001, and at 1,776 feet one of the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. Lendlease also served as construction manager for 30 Hudson Yards, the 1,268-foot commercial tower that houses the observation deck Edge.
Beyond those marquee projects, Lendlease has managed construction on major mixed-use developments, residential towers, and commercial buildings across New York City. The company also handles development and investment work alongside construction, making it both a contractor and an owner-developer in various projects — which can affect how Labor Law liability analysis applies.
In recent years, Lendlease has been involved in large-scale mixed-use developments in Brooklyn and Queens, expanding its footprint beyond the traditional Manhattan high-rise market. Workers across all of these project types are covered by New York's Labor Laws.
Non-Delegable Duty at Lendlease Projects
When Lendlease serves as construction manager or general contractor, it takes on the non-delegable duty under Labor Law §§ 240(1) and 241(6) for all workers on the project. When Lendlease serves as both developer (owner) and construction manager, it can face liability under both the contractor and owner provisions of the statute simultaneously.
On a project like One World Trade Center or 30 Hudson Yards, the scope of risk is extreme. Workers constructing supertall towers face gravity-related hazards at every stage: concrete forming at upper floors, structural steel placement, curtain wall and facade installation at hundreds of feet above grade, mechanical penthouse construction, and work on spires and architectural elements at the very top of the structure. Section 240(1) — the statute designed specifically for these gravity-related hazards — is at the heart of any injury claim from a project like this.
The scale of Lendlease's projects also means there are many more workers, many more subcontractors, and many more potential points of failure. The GC's non-delegable duty applies across all of them. A scaffolding sub that improperly erects a system on the 60th floor doesn't insulate Lendlease from 240(1) liability when a worker falls. The duty stayed with Lendlease when it took the prime contract.
Section 241(6) applies broadly across Lendlease's diverse project types: residential, commercial, mixed-use. Industrial Code requirements govern construction work regardless of whether it's happening in a supertall in Manhattan or a midrise in Brooklyn.
One World Trade Center and Port Authority Considerations
This matters specifically for workers injured during One World Trade Center construction: the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey owns the World Trade Center site. The Port Authority is a bi-state government authority, and injury claims against the Port Authority require a Notice of Claim filed within 90 days of the accident — or in some cases within a different period depending on the specific authority and the applicable statute.
Missing the Notice of Claim window doesn't necessarily end all claims. Claims against Lendlease as construction manager are separate from claims against the Port Authority as landowner. But losing the property owner as a defendant affects the case. If you were injured at the World Trade Center site, get to an attorney immediately regardless of when the accident happened — the sooner the better.
What Workers Injured at Lendlease Sites Can Recover
Recoverable damages in a Labor Law case against Lendlease include the full range of tort damages: past and future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced future earning capacity, and pain and suffering. There is no cap on pain and suffering damages in New York personal injury cases.
On major Lendlease projects, injury exposure is often catastrophic — falls from supertall heights produce severe or fatal injuries. When injuries involve permanent disability, the economic damages alone can be substantial: decades of lost earnings for a worker in their 30s or 40s, lifetime medical and care costs for spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries. Workers' comp from your employer pays a fraction of this and does not cover pain and suffering. The third-party Labor Law claim is where real recovery happens.
Documenting Your Claim
- File an incident report with Lendlease's site safety team and get a copy before leaving
- Photograph the exact conditions — the scaffold, the harness system, the floor edge, the equipment that failed
- Get the names of any Lendlease supervisory or safety personnel who responded
- Get witness names and numbers from any coworkers on the same level
- Go to the emergency room immediately — for any fall at height, complete imaging is essential
- Write your own account of events before speaking with anyone representing Lendlease
- Do not sign releases or give recorded statements to Lendlease's insurance representatives
Common Questions
Lendlease was the construction manager, not the GC — does that change their liability under Labor Law?
New York courts look at the substance of the role, not the label in the contract. If the construction manager had authority to supervise safety, coordinate subcontractors, and stop work for safety reasons — which is standard in a Lendlease CM role — courts treat the CM as a general contractor for Labor Law purposes. The contract title doesn't let a CM escape the non-delegable duty.
I was injured at 30 Hudson Yards during construction — can I still bring a claim?
The standard statute of limitations for personal injury in New York is 3 years from the accident date. If you were injured during the 30 Hudson Yards construction window and 3 years have not passed, you may still have time. The clock runs from the date of injury, not from when the building opened. Consult an attorney immediately to evaluate where you stand on timing.
Lendlease is an Australian company — does that affect my ability to sue them in New York?
No. Lendlease operates through US entities that are subject to New York jurisdiction. You can bring a Labor Law claim in New York State court against Lendlease's US entity the same as any domestic contractor. A company's foreign parent doesn't create any special protection from US state court jurisdiction when the company is operating in New York.
Both Lendlease and a property owner are potentially liable — what's the strategy?
In a Labor Law case, it's standard practice to name both the contractor and the property owner as defendants. Both have non-delegable duties. When both are liable, the practical effect is that there are multiple insurance policies available to pay the judgment or settlement, and neither defendant can simply point to the other to reduce their exposure. An attorney will identify all proper defendants in your case.