Construction Accident Lawyer in Monroe County
Injured on a construction site in Monroe County? NY Labor Law §240 may hold the property owner strictly liable. Free case review — (888) 702-1581.
Monroe County is anchored by Rochester's dense institutional construction ecosystem — the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Eastman School complex each run multimillion-dollar capital programs. The Inner Loop East project converted an urban expressway into surface streets, generating years of adjacent redevelopment construction, and the Port of Rochester and Charlotte waterfront are active mixed-use development zones. Finger Lakes semiconductor supply chain growth following GlobalFoundries' Malta expansion has attracted electronics manufacturing facility construction to Monroe County's industrial parks on the county's southern tier.
NY Labor Law §240 and §241 — What Every Worker in Monroe County Should Know
The Finger Lakes region's hospitality, agricultural, and university construction projects all fall under Labor Law §240 and §241(6) when workers are injured at elevation.
New York Labor Law §240(1), known as the Scaffold Law, imposes strict liability on property owners and general contractors when a worker is injured due to a gravity-related hazard — a fall from scaffolding, a ladder collapse, a falling object. Strict liability means the owner's negligence does not need to be proved. If the safety device failed to provide proper protection, liability attaches.
§241(6) adds a parallel claim: any violation of the NY Industrial Code (12 NYCRR Part 23) that causes injury is also actionable. These two statutes together give injured construction workers in Monroe County unusually strong legal footing compared to workers in any other state.
Workers' compensation is not your only option. §240 and §241(6) claims are separate civil lawsuits — you can pursue both simultaneously, and a third-party lawsuit typically produces substantially higher recoveries than comp alone.
Active Construction in Monroe County — Where Accidents Happen
Monroe County has seen significant construction activity in recent years, including University of Rochester Medical Center expansion, Rochester Inner Loop East redevelopment, RIT MAGIC Spell Studios and campus expansion, Port of Rochester waterfront redevelopment. These projects employ workers represented by Laborers Local 435, Carpenters Local 280, Iron Workers Local 33, Operating Engineers Local 832 and other locals operating in the region.
Active construction zones are where §240 injuries occur. When an employer or GC fails to erect proper scaffolding, provide fall harnesses, or secure materials against falling, and a worker is hurt, the legal machinery of Labor Law §240 and §241(6) is available to that worker regardless of what their employer tells them.
Many workers in Monroe County are told after an injury that workers' comp is their only option, or that they were partly at fault. Under §240 strict liability, comparative negligence is not a defense. The employer's or property owner's claim that "you should have been more careful" is legally irrelevant if a safety device failed.
Filing Your Claim: Supreme Court, Monroe County
Construction accident lawsuits in Monroe County are generally filed in the Supreme Court, Monroe County, located at 99 Exchange Blvd, Rochester NY 14614. The court is part of New York's Appellate Division, 4th Department — the appellate body that reviews trial court decisions in Monroe County cases. Understanding the appellate division matters because different departments have developed slightly different interpretations of §240's scope over decades of case law.
Deadlines matter. Under CPLR §214, you have three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim. However, the statute of limitations for wrongful death is two years, and claims against government entities may require a Notice of Claim filed within 90 days. Do not wait.
If you were treated after your accident at Strong Memorial Hospital or another trauma center, your medical records will form a core part of your damages evidence. Preserving those records early, along with incident reports, OSHA logs, and witness contact information, protects your case.
Supreme Court, Monroe County
99 Exchange Blvd, Rochester NY 14614
Union Locals Active in Monroe County
Union members may have additional resources through their trust funds, but union membership does not affect your right to pursue an independent Labor Law §240 or §241(6) claim.
Common Questions About Construction Accidents in Monroe County
Injured on a Monroe County Construction Site?
Call (888) 702-1581 for a free case review. We handle §240 and §241 claims throughout Monroe County and all of New York state. No fee unless we win.