NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm), 5,070 workers died from job-related injuries across the United States in 2024, with construction and extraction workers accounting for 1,032 of those fatalities. Struck-by and falling object incidents ranked among the leading causes of those deaths, and New York personal injury firm Gorayeb & Associates, P.C. is today issuing public guidance to help injured construction workers understand the legal protections available to them before critical deadlines expire.
The BLS reported that fatal falls, slips, and trips among construction and extraction workers decreased 7.5 percent to 370 in 2024, yet the industry’s fatality toll remained among the highest of any sector in the United States. The NYC Department of Buildings 2024 Construction Safety Report documented 638 construction incidents across New York City job sites resulting in 482 injuries and 7 fatalities, with struck-by incidents accounting for 47 of those events. Despite modest year-over-year improvement, the construction industry still accounted for roughly one in five worker deaths nationwide.
“The cases I have handled for 40 years do not start with a mystery,” said Christopher J. Gorayeb, founding partner of Gorayeb & Associates. “They start with a property owner or general contractor who skipped an inspection, removed a safety net, or rushed a rigging crew. New York Labor Law was written to hold those people accountable. My job is to make sure the worker sitting across from me knows that before the statute of limitations runs out.”
Under New York Labor Law Section 240(1), property owners and general contractors carry an absolute, nondelegable duty to protect workers from gravity-related hazards including unsecured materials, suspended loads, and falling equipment. New York appellate courts have consistently held that when a worker is struck by a falling object and required protective measures were absent or inadequate, owners and general contractors face strict liability regardless of the worker’s own conduct.
Section 241(6) provides a parallel avenue for claims tied to specific Industrial Code violations governing overhead protection and material handling at elevation. These protections apply regardless of immigration status, union membership, or employment classification.
Time is a factor that cannot be recovered once lost. A Labor Law Section 240 claim must generally be filed within three years of the incident. Accidents involving a city or state agency trigger a notice of claim requirement within 90 days. Workers are advised to report incidents to their employer in writing on the day they occur, seek immediate medical evaluation, photograph the scene before it is altered, and avoid providing any recorded statements to insurance representatives before consulting an attorney.
About Gorayeb & Associates, P.C.
Founded in 1986 by Christopher J. Gorayeb, Gorayeb & Associates, P.C. is a New York personal injury law firm focused on construction accidents and occupational disease. The firm has recovered more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements for over 12,000 injured workers and is widely recognized among New York’s Latino workforce as “The People’s Lawyers” for its bilingual representation, contingency fee structure, and 40-year track record of holding employers, property owners, and manufacturers accountable under New York Labor Law. Free consultations are available at 212-267-2100 or www.gorayeb.com.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2024: www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm
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