New York City Work Injury Lawyer

Hurt on the job in NYC? Our experienced work injury attorneys in New York City can help you recover compensation for your injuries.

You went to work. You came home injured, or you didn’t come home at all the way you left. Now you’re staring down medical bills, a shrinking paycheck, and an insurance adjuster whose job is to pay you less than your case is worth.

At Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we represent injured workers across New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, from construction workers hurt on scaffolds to warehouse workers, drivers, hospital staff, and families who lost a loved one on the job.

Our New York City work injury lawyers know the Workers’ Compensation Board inside and out, we treat every file as a trial file from the first phone call, and we know when a case belongs in civil court for far more than comp alone can pay.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Do I Have a Workplace Injury Case in New York?

If you were hurt on the job in New York City, you may have two separate legal claims available, not just one. New York law gives injured workers access to a workers’ compensation claim through your employer’s insurance and, in many cases, a personal injury lawsuit against any negligent outside party whose actions caused your accident.

• Workers’ Compensation: A no-fault system that pays medical and wage benefits regardless of who was at fault for the accident.

• Third-Party Lawsuit: A civil claim against any outside party, such as a contractor, manufacturer, or property owner, whose negligence put you in danger.

Knowing which path applies to your situation, or whether both do, is the most critical decision you will make after a work injury. Our New York City work injury attorneys identify every available claim and pursue each one to its maximum value.

What Benefits Can Workers’ Compensation Pay?

Workers’ comp is designed to cover the direct financial losses that follow a job injury. Insurance carriers are not required to explain everything you are owed, and that information gap is exactly how they save money at your expense.

Your workers’ compensation benefits may include:

• Medical treatment: All necessary care related to your work injury, for life, including surgeries, physical therapy, prescriptions, specialist visits, and assistive devices.

• Lost wages: Up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage while you cannot work, subject to New York’s state maximum.

• Scheduled Loss of Use (SLU) awards: A lump-sum cash payment for permanent loss of function in a specific body part, such as an arm, leg, hand, eye, or hearing.

• Death benefits: Wage replacement and funeral expense coverage for the families of workers killed by a job-related injury.

Workers’ comp does not cover pain and suffering. Recovering those damages requires a separate lawsuit, which we address below.

Can You Sue After a Work Accident in New York City?

Workers’ compensation is generally your exclusive remedy against your direct employer, which means you cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against your boss. However, you have the right to sue any negligent third party whose actions caused or contributed to your accident.

For construction workers, New York’s Labor Law provides some of the most powerful worker protections in the country:

• Labor Law § 240(1), the “Scaffold Law”: General contractors and property owners are strictly liable for gravity-related accidents, including falls from ladders, scaffolding, or elevated surfaces. Strict liability means they cannot shift the blame onto you.

• Labor Law § 241(6): Requires construction sites to comply with specific Industrial Code safety regulations. A code violation can establish liability directly against a contractor or owner.

• Labor Law § 200: The general negligence provision. It applies when a contractor or owner had supervisory control over the unsafe condition that harmed you.

A third-party lawsuit gives you access to the full scope of damages: pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and full wage recovery beyond the workers’ comp cap.

Who Is Liable for Your Workplace Accident?

Beyond your employer, there are often several parties whose negligence our New York City work injury lawyers can pursue. Identifying all of them is what separates a limited workers’ comp check from a complete financial recovery.

Potentially liable parties include:

• General contractors and subcontractors on construction sites.

• Property owners who failed to maintain a safe worksite.

• Manufacturers of defective tools, machinery, or protective equipment.

• Drivers who struck you while you were performing job duties.

• Third-party maintenance or management companies responsible for site conditions.

In our experience handling New York City work injury claims, the third-party case is often hidden inside the building itself. Porters, doormen, and maintenance workers in Manhattan office and residential towers are frequently hurt by freight elevators, loading dock equipment, or conditions controlled by a building owner or management company that is not their employer.

We ask detailed questions about who owned and maintained the equipment, because those answers can open a claim for pain and suffering and full lost wages that comp will never pay.

How to File a Workers’ Comp Claim in New York City

New York’s workers’ compensation process has rigid forms, strict deadlines, and precise rules. A single error, such as a missed deadline, the wrong form, or treatment from an unauthorized doctor, can give the insurance company grounds to deny your claim entirely.

Step 1: Report the Injury to Your Employer Within 30 Days

Notify your supervisor in writing immediately and keep your own copy. Verbal reports are easily disputed.

Step 2: Treat with a WCB-Authorized Doctor

Your treating physician must be authorized by the New York Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). Seeing an unauthorized provider may result in the insurance carrier refusing to cover your medical bills.

Step 3: File Form C-3 Within Two Years of the Accident

Form C-3, the Employee’s Claim for Compensation, formally opens your claim with the WCB. We handle this filing on your behalf so nothing gets missed.

Step 4: Prepare for the Insurance Company’s Medical Exam

The insurer will schedule an “Independent” Medical Exam (IME) with a doctor hired to challenge the severity of your injuries. We prepare you for the process and counter their report with evidence from your own treating physician.

Step 5: Put Grigor Law Between You and the Insurance Company

At every stage of the process, the carrier is building reasons to reduce your benefits. We handle the pressure so you can focus entirely on getting better.

What If the Insurance Company Stops Your Benefits?

Carriers cut off payments the moment they believe they can justify it, typically by leaning on an IME report or claiming you have recovered enough to return to work. You have the right to fight back immediately.

We request a hearing before a WCB judge and, if necessary, take your case through the full Board appeals process and the Appellate Division of New York to get your benefits reinstated.

What we see across the contested comp cases we handle for New York City workers is that the carrier’s IME doctor often examines the client for only a few minutes and then reports a mild or temporary disability.

When that report conflicts with the treating physician, the outcome usually depends on who presents the medical evidence more clearly at the hearing. We prepare treating doctors for that testimony and cross-examine IME physicians on how much time they actually spent with you.

How Long Do You Have to File a Work Injury Claim?

The statute of limitations, the legal deadline to file your case, is strictly enforced in New York. Missing it means permanently losing your right to compensation.

• Workers’ compensation: 30 days to give written notice to your employer, and two years from the injury date to file Form C-3 with the WCB.

• Third-party personal injury lawsuit: Under New York law, a third-party personal injury lawsuit must be filed within three years from the accident.

Every day you wait is another day the insurance company builds their case against you.

Does a Pre-Existing Condition or Partial Fault Affect Your Claim?

These are two of the most common reasons injured workers hesitate to call a lawyer, and neither one should stop you.

If your job aggravated or worsened an existing injury or health condition, New York’s “aggravation” standard entitles you to benefits for the extent your work made that condition worse. The insurance company cannot use your prior medical history to erase your right to compensation.

Under New York’s comparative negligence rule, being partly at fault for your accident reduces your third-party lawsuit damages by your percentage of responsibility, but it does not eliminate your right to recover.

If your third-party claim comes from a motor vehicle crash, a 2026 amendment to CPLR § 1411 bars recovery when your fault is greater than the combined fault of the defendants.

How We Build Your Work Injury Case

Our New York City work injury attorneys prepare every case as if it is going to trial, because the insurance companies we face know we mean it. That trial-ready posture is what compels fair settlements instead of lowball offers.

Our attorneys calculate your special damages (medical expenses, lost wages, future treatment costs) and benchmark your general damages (pain, suffering, mental anguish) against New York and federal case law to demand maximum value.

If you are too injured to travel, we come to you. Our attorneys visit homes and hospitals to ensure your condition never prevents you from getting the representation you deserve.

Why Injured Workers Choose Grigor Law

There is a meaningful difference between a firm that moves cases and one that fights them.

What You Need	The Typical Settlement-Mill	Grigor Law
Case Strategy	Fast, low settlement	Built trial-ready from day one
Attorney Access	Mostly paralegal contact	Direct access to your attorney
Convenience	You come to the office	We come to you
Legal Fees	Variable or unclear	Contingency only, no fee unless we win

Founded in 2015 by Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Esq., Grigor Law represents clients in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island and is prepared to vigorously advocate for injured workers.

“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the entire team at Grigoropoulos Law Group for all your hard work and dedication in successfully settling my third-party case. Your professionalism, guidance, and tireless efforts throughout this process gave me peace of mind and confidence every step of the way. I truly appreciate the time, care, and attention you put into my case.” – Miguel Acosta

What Does Hiring a NYC Work Injury Lawyer Cost?

All of our work injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis. You pay nothing until we recover compensation for you.

• Workers’ compensation cases: Our fee is set and approved by a WCB judge and is paid directly from your award, never from your pocket.

• Third-party personal injury cases: Our fee is a percentage of the total settlement or verdict we secure.

If we do not win, you owe us nothing. No exceptions.

Where We Serve Injured Workers Across New York

We operate out of three offices to serve clients across the region:

• Ridgewood: Serving Brooklyn and Queens.

• The Bronx: Serving the Bronx and surrounding neighborhoods.

• Hempstead: Serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.

We also represent injured workers throughout Westchester County and all five New York City boroughs.

Contact our Workplace Injury Law Firm in NYC Today

Right now, the insurance adjuster on your case is collecting information and building reasons to pay you as little as possible. Every day without legal representation is a day they hold the advantage. Call (718) 249-7447 for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win, and if you cannot come to us, we will come to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Sue My Employer Directly After a Work Injury in New York?

Generally no. Workers’ compensation is your exclusive legal remedy against your direct employer, but you can pursue general contractors, property owners, and other third parties under Labor Law sections 200, 240, and 241.

Can I File Both Workers’ Comp and a Third-Party Lawsuit at the Same Time?

Yes. Both claims run simultaneously, but if you recover money in a lawsuit, the workers’ comp carrier holds a lien and is repaid for benefits it already paid from your settlement or verdict proceeds.

What Happens If My Employer Did Not Have Workers’ Comp Insurance?

You can file a claim with New York’s Uninsured Employers Fund (UEF), which was created to pay benefits when an employer illegally operates without coverage, and you may also sue the employer directly in civil court.

Does Immigration Status Affect Workers’ Comp Eligibility in New York?

No. New York’s Workers’ Compensation Law covers all workers regardless of immigration status or documentation.

Can I Switch Doctors During a Workers’ Comp Claim in New York?

Yes. You may change to any other WCB-authorized physician at any time without needing permission from your employer or the insurance carrier.

What If I Was Injured in a Car Accident While on the Job?

A work-related car crash may give rise to three simultaneous claims: workers’ compensation benefits, No-Fault insurance coverage, and a third-party personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.