Brooklyn Scaffold Accident Lawyer

Why Injured Workers Turn to a Brooklyn Scaffold Accident Attorney?

A fall from scaffolding can end months of income overnight. Surgery, physical therapy, and long recovery days often follow, and the bills do not pause while you heal. You need someone who understands how one fall reshapes a household, and who will handle the insurance calls, the paperwork, and the pressure so you can focus on getting well.

The Brooklyn scaffold accident lawyers at Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss have spent decades representing injured construction workers across New York City — experience grounded in one partner’s early years defending these same claims for insurance companies before he switched sides. That firsthand view of how insurers build a defense now works for you.

Reach out and let’s talk through what happened. The first conversation is free. 

Scaffold and Fall Injuries We Help Brooklyn Workers Recover From

Scaffold accidents rarely look the same twice. The injuries can range from a broken wrist to a spinal cord injury that changes how someone walks or works for the rest of their life. Our scaffold accident injury lawyers in Brooklyn represent workers and bystanders hurt in:

• Falls from suspended or swing-stage scaffolds attached to high-rise facades
• Falls from supported scaffolds that collapsed or were missing guardrails
• Injuries from tools, debris, or materials that fell from overhead platforms
• Ladder and staging falls where no safety harness was ever provided
• Collapses caused by overloaded or improperly braced scaffold sections

Each of these injuries carries its own medical needs and legal questions, and the right first step depends on where you were working, who controlled the site, and what safety equipment should have been there in the first place.

What New York’s Scaffold Law Means for Your Claim?

New York treats falls from height differently than most other injury cases. Under New York Labor Law § 240, known as the Scaffold Law, property owners and general contractors must provide safe scaffolding, ladders, and fall protection for anyone working at height.

They can be held liable when that equipment is missing, broken, or inadequate, even if the worker was told to be careful on the job. In most cases, a worker’s own carefulness or carelessness does not change who is responsible. That protection exists because a fall from even 15 or 20 feet can cause permanent brain injury, fractured vertebrae, or paralysis.

What happens if a foreman pushed the crew to keep working on an unsafe platform because the job fell behind schedule? Under this law, that pressure generally does not shift the blame onto you. There are limited exceptions — for example, if you turned down safety equipment that was available and ready to use.

Results Our Attorneys Have Won in Fall and Construction Cases

A $1 million verdict for a warehouse manager who fell through a defective roof while working at height, a case Adam Cahn tried to verdict.

In a separate matter, Matthew Sakkas represented the plaintiff in Barnett v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, an appellate case. The court found a strong enough link between an engineer’s job-site duties and the risk of harm to let the claim go forward.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.

How a Brooklyn Scaffold Accident Lawyer at Our Firm Builds Your Case?

When we take on your case, our first step is to quickly save evidence before it disappears. Partner Matthew Sakkas spent the early part of his legal career defending construction companies for insurance firms. Because of that background, he knows how the other side thinks and where key details are often hidden. We act fast to secure video footage, photograph the scene before repairs are made, and pull safety inspection records.

Next, we build a clear record of your medical treatment. We work with medical experts and care planners to show exactly how your fall affects your health, your daily life, and your future ability to work.

Partner Adam Cahn, who is licensed to practice in federal courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, uses this detailed preparation when questioning witnesses and presenting evidence in court. This thorough approach helps us push for a fair settlement or fight for you at trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is my Brooklyn scaffold accident case worth?

Value depends on the severity of your injury, lost income, future medical needs, and who is legally responsible under the Scaffold Law. Cases involving permanent injury, like the $1 million verdict our firm won for a worker’s fall through a defective roof, tend to carry higher value once the full medical picture is documented.

How long do I have to file a scaffold accident claim?

Most personal injury claims in Brooklyn, New York, including scaffold accidents, must be filed within three years of the accident date under CPLR § 214(5). That deadline can be much shorter if the property is owned by a city agency, the Port Authority, or another government body — in those cases, you may need to file a formal notice within 90 days and start your lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days. 

Can my employer blame me for my own fall?

Under Labor Law § 240, owners and contractors are responsible for providing working scaffolds, ladders, and fall protection, and that duty does not disappear because a worker was told to hurry. Comparative fault rarely defeats a properly built Scaffold Law claim.

I already received workers’ compensation. Can I still bring a claim?

Yes. Workers’ compensation from your employer and a Labor Law claim against a property owner or general contractor are separate. You can often pursue both, since workers’ comp benefits alone rarely cover the full cost of a serious fall injury.

What if I was hurt on a scaffold but I am not a construction worker?

Labor Law § 240 protects workers performing construction, repair, or demolition work. Pedestrians or other bystanders hurt by falling scaffolding or debris may still have a claim under ordinary negligence and premises liability law.

Will my case be filed in Kings County Supreme Court?

Most Brooklyn scaffold lawsuits over $50,000 are filed in the Supreme Court, Kings County, Civil Term, at 360 Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Our attorneys are familiar with how cases move through that courthouse, from filing to trial scheduling.

What does a consultation with your firm cost?

Nothing. We offer free consultations for scaffold and construction accident cases, and we work on contingency, so you do not pay attorney’s fees unless we recover money for you. If your situation raises a question we have not covered here, reach out and we will walk through it with you.

Connect With a Brooklyn Scaffold Accident Lawyer

A scaffold fall can derail a career and a family’s finances in seconds, and the paperwork that follows will not wait until you feel ready. Our attorneys have represented injured construction workers across Brooklyn for years. 

Sakkas, Cahn & Weiss can review what happened, explain your options in plain terms, and start preserving evidence right away. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Attorneys

Matthew Sakkas Esq.

Partner

Adam D. Cahn Esq.

Managing Partner

Mitchel E. Weiss Esq.

Associate Attorney