You Were Just Injured
Construction Accident Victim at Staten Island University Hospital — Your Rights
Staten Island University Hospital North is the island's Level I Trauma Center. If you're here after a construction accident, the building boom that put you here also created serious legal rights you need to act on now.
⚠️ Important: If your accident happened on city property, you have 90 days to file a Notice of Claim. Don't wait.
About Staten Island University Hospital North
- Address: 475 Seaview Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305
- Trauma Designation: Level I Trauma Center
- System: Northwell Health
- Primary Service Area: All of Staten Island — St. George, Stapleton, New Dorp, Great Kills, Tottenville
- Relevant Court: Richmond County Supreme Court, 18 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island 10301
Staten Island's Construction Boom — Bigger Than Most People Realize
Staten Island is in the middle of a construction wave that's changing the character of the borough. Amazon has built major logistics and fulfillment infrastructure on the North Shore. The St. George waterfront has seen hotel, office, and residential construction. New Springville and Eltingville are getting new residential subdivisions. The Bayway area has industrial construction. And throughout the island, residential construction and renovation work continues at a pace that puts workers at risk every day.
Workers on Staten Island construction sites are often less unionized and less informed of their rights than workers in the other boroughs. The island's geographic isolation creates a culture where workers are more dependent on individual contractors and more reluctant to assert legal rights. Contractors take advantage of that.
New York Labor Law 240 applies to every one of those construction sites. If you were hurt here — on a private house, a commercial project, an Amazon logistics warehouse, a new residential tower — your rights are the same as any worker's in Manhattan.
What to Do Right Now, At SIUH
Do not speak to the contractor's insurance company
On Staten Island, insurance adjusters often operate faster and more personally than in other boroughs. They may show up at the hospital or call you within hours. They may know the contractor personally. They may frame the conversation as helping you navigate the process. They are not. They are protecting their client — the contractor — and limiting what they pay out. Say nothing without your attorney.
Photograph your injuries at SIUH
The trauma bay is the most credible setting to document injury severity. Have a family member photograph your injuries while you're still admitted — bruising, swelling, external fixators, surgical dressings. These early images can be some of the most powerful evidence in your case.
Write down every detail about the accident and the site
Where on the island was the site. What company was the general contractor. What floor or height were you working at. Was there a safety harness. Was the scaffold properly assembled. Who was the superintendent. Were there any safety violations you noticed before the accident. These details matter enormously to your case.
Contact coworkers before the contractor does
In the tight-knit Staten Island construction world, witness pressure is a real issue. Contractors may reach out to workers quickly and coach them on what to say. Contact anyone who saw the accident before that happens. Their honest account of what the site looked like — whether there was fall protection, whether the scaffold was safe — is invaluable.
Staten Island Construction Projects and the 90-Day Rule
Staten Island has a significant amount of city-owned property and city-operated infrastructure. NYCHA operates housing developments throughout the North Shore. The MTA runs the Staten Island Railway. NYC DOT maintains roads and bridges. NYC DEP has water and sewer infrastructure work throughout the borough.
The Amazon projects and other large commercial developments are typically privately owned — no Notice of Claim required. But any city agency involvement triggers the 90-day rule. If you're not sure, we'll find out within 24 hours by checking property records and the identity of the project owner.
Don't guess. Call us today and let us check. The 90-day clock started the moment you were injured.
Richmond County Supreme Court
Construction injury cases from Staten Island accidents are filed in Richmond County Supreme Court at 18 Richmond Terrace in St. George — a short walk from the St. George Ferry Terminal. This is one of the smaller courts in the New York State system, and Labor Law 240 cases here benefit from a jury pool of Staten Island residents who understand manual labor.
Richmond County verdicts in construction injury cases have grown substantially in recent years, reflecting the borough's growing construction activity and the courts' familiarity with Labor Law claims. Cases with strong 240 liability regularly produce significant settlements and verdicts.
The 3-year filing deadline applies for private construction. For city property, 90 days for the Notice of Claim. We handle both.
Workers' Comp on Staten Island — The Limits
Workers' comp in New York pays your medical bills and about two-thirds of your average weekly wage — up to a statutory cap. It pays nothing for pain and suffering. It pays nothing for the full economic value of a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to construction work.
A Labor Law civil case compensates you for all of it — pain and suffering, full lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, and the cost of ongoing medical care. A construction worker in their 30s or 40s who suffers a spinal injury on a Staten Island site can have a civil case worth $1 million to $3 million. Workers' comp might pay $150,000 over the life of the claim for the same injury.
You can pursue both. The workers' comp lien is negotiated down as part of the civil settlement. The two claims work together, not against each other.
Questions Workers Ask Us From the Hospital
I was hurt on an Amazon warehouse construction project. Who is liable?
Amazon as property owner and the general contractor both face potential liability under Labor Law 240. Large commercial construction projects involve extensive subcontracting, and the owner and GC are responsible for worker safety regardless of which subcontractor your employer was. We identify all responsible parties at the outset of every case.
I was working on a private home in Tottenville. Is the homeowner liable?
Possibly not, if the owner lives there, doesn't direct the work, and it's a one or two-family home. That's the homeowner exception. But the contractor who hired you is still potentially liable under Labor Law 200, and we look carefully at whether the homeowner exception genuinely applies. Many cases that look like homeowner exceptions aren't.
The contractor told me the accident was just "one of those things." Does that close my case?
No. Contractors say that to discourage claims. Labor Law 240 makes the owner and GC strictly liable for gravity-related injuries regardless of whether the accident was "unavoidable." The only question is whether proper safety equipment was provided and used. "These things happen" is not a legal defense.
How do I get to Richmond County Supreme Court?
Richmond County Supreme Court is at 18 Richmond Terrace in St. George, right near the ferry terminal. It's accessible from the SI Ferry and by car. You'll only need to appear for deposition (which can often be done near your home) and possibly trial. Most cases settle before trial.
Can an attorney really come to Staten Island University Hospital to meet me?
Yes. We will come to SIUH or to your home after discharge. We cross the bridge regularly for client meetings. No fee for the consultation. No obligation to retain us afterward. Call and we'll arrange it today.
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