Brooklyn Workplace Accident Lawyer

Helping Injured Workers Recover Fair Compensation

A serious injury at work can stop your paycheck the same week it stops your ability to walk, lift, or stand through a full shift. Medical bills start arriving before the first disability check does, and no one on the job site explains what you are actually owed. When that happens, you need a Brooklyn personal injury lawyer who understands what happens next and who to hold responsible. 

The Brooklyn workplace accident lawyers at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss built this practice on documenting what happened before the evidence disappears: the equipment, the surveillance video, the medical chart. Attorney Adam D. Cahn, admitted to the New York State Bar in 1995 and recognized by Best Lawyers since 2021 for personal injury litigation, has spent three decades recovering compensation for injured workers across Brooklyn.

Reach out to talk through what happened and what it could mean for your case.

Workplace Accidents We Help Injured Brooklyn Workers Recover From

Every workplace injury looks different once you break down what actually caused it. Some of our Brooklyn clients were hurt on a construction site, others in a warehouse, a kitchen, or the back of a delivery van. We handle claims that include:

• Falls from ladders, scaffolds accidents, or roofs on construction sites
• Injuries caused by unguarded or malfunctioning machinery
• Warehouse, delivery, and forklift accidents
• Electrical shocks and burns from faulty wiring or equipment
• Repetitive stress and lifting injuries from years of physical labor
• Accidents caused by a negligent driver, subcontractor, or property owner who was not your employer

Whichever category your injury falls into, the first step is figuring out whether workers’ compensation, a third-party lawsuit, or both apply to what happened to you.

How to Recover Compensation After a Brooklyn Work Injury?

New York workers’ compensation New York workers’ compensation pays your medical bills and part of your lost wages. It does not cover pain and suffering, and the wage checks rarely match your full paycheck. Although workers’ compensation is the sole and exclusive remedy against the employer under New York Workers’ Compensation Law § 11, the employee is still free to file a personal injury lawsuit against third parties.

So what happens when someone other than your employer caused the accident? If a general contractor, property owner, equipment maker, or another company’s driver contributed to what happened, you may have a separate claim against them.

Construction workers hurt in a fall or by a falling object often have an added claim under New York Labor Law § 240, known as the Scaffold Law. This law holds property owners and general contractors automatically responsible when a worker is hurt by a fall or falling object on a construction, demolition, repair, or alteration project — the worker doesn’t have to prove anyone was careless.

These claims run on strict deadlines, and waiting to report an injury can cost you benefits you would have otherwise received. Our workplace accident attorneys in Brooklyn can help determine what claims are available in your case and what deadlines may apply. 

How Our Brooklyn Workplace Accident Lawyers Build Your Claim?

When you call a Brooklyn workplace accident lawyer at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss, the work starts immediately, not after the paperwork clears. We send someone to document the accident scene and preserve surveillance video before a business erases it, often within days of the incident.

From there, we build a medical evidence chain that connects your treatment to the accident itself, using a network of specialists who know how to document injuries that insurance adjusters like to minimize.

For cases that need more, we can bring in accident reconstruction experts and life-care planners at the point in the case where their testimony carries the most weight. Attorney Matthew Sakkas started his career on the insurance-defense side of premises and construction cases, so he knows how the other side evaluates a claim before it happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay anything upfront to hire a workplace accident lawyer in Brooklyn?

No. We work on contingency, so you owe nothing upfront and no fee unless we recover money for you. Your first consultation is always free.

Can I sue my employer directly after a workplace accident?

Usually not. New York’s Workers’ Compensation Law § 11 makes workers’ compensation your exclusive remedy against your employer once your employer carries the required insurance. If your employer failed to carry that insurance, you may have the option to sue directly instead of filing a claim.

What if another company, not my employer, caused my accident?

You can often file a separate injury claim against a general contractor, property owner, subcontractor, or equipment manufacturer while still collecting workers’ compensation from your employer. These third-party claims can recover money workers’ compensation does not cover, including pain and suffering.

How long do I have to report a workplace injury or file a claim in New York?

You generally need to notify your employer within 30 days and file a workers’ compensation claim within 2 years of the accident. A separate lawsuit against a third party usually must be filed within 3 years. If the third party is a city agency or other government body, you may only have 90 days to file a Notice of Claim, and about a year and 90 days total to sue.

What compensation can I recover from a Brooklyn workplace accident claim?

Workers’ compensation covers medical treatment and a portion of lost wages, plus an award for permanent impairment in some cases. A third-party lawsuit can add pain and suffering, full lost earnings, and future care costs that workers’ compensation does not pay.

If my case goes to court, where will it be handled in Brooklyn?

Workers’ compensation hearings for Brooklyn claims run through the Workers’ Compensation Board Brooklyn District Office at One Pierrepont Plaza, 300 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn, NY 11201, and civil lawsuits against third parties are typically filed at the Kings County Supreme Court, located at 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Can I still file a claim if I am undocumented?

Yes. New York workers’ compensation and injury laws protect you regardless of immigration status, and your status has no bearing on your right to medical care or to basic workers’ comp benefits after a workplace accident. One narrow exception: New York’s top court has ruled that undocumented status can affect eligibility for certain extra benefits tied to future earning capacity, since those depend on being legally able to work in the U.S.

Start Your Free Conversation With a Brooklyn Workplace Accident Lawyer 

A workplace injury does not wait for you to feel ready to deal with it, and neither do the deadlines that protect your claim. Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss handles Brooklyn workplace accident cases on contingency, so you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all unless we recover money for you. Schedule a free consultation and find out what your case could be worth.

Attorneys

Matthew Sakkas Esq.

Partner

Adam D. Cahn Esq.

Managing Partner

Mitchel E. Weiss Esq.

Associate Attorney