NYC Construction · Auto · Investor Rights

A plain-language guide to New York workers' compensation for construction workers.

What it covers, what it doesn’t, how to file, and why your workers’ comp case is almost never the only case you have.

By Bob Amirian, Esq.

Founding & Managing Attorney · Amparo Law Firm

In this guide

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If you were hurt on a New York construction site, you almost certainly have a workers’ compensation claim. You may also have a much larger third-party claim that workers’ comp does not affect — and most workers don’t know it exists.

What New York workers' compensation actually covers.

New York’s workers’ compensation system covers job-related injuries regardless of fault. If you were injured during the course of your employment — including on a construction site — workers’ comp will pay:

The system is designed to be no-fault: you do not need to prove your employer did anything wrong. In exchange, you generally cannot sue your direct employer for the injury — that “exclusive remedy” rule is the workers’ comp grand bargain.

The two-thirds rule, in practice.

If you earned $1,500/week, workers’ comp will pay roughly $1,000/week — capped at the state maximum (currently around $1,228/week, indexed annually). That gap is one of the reasons the third-party case below matters so much.

How to file — and the deadlines that matter.

You must report the injury to your employer within 30 days, ideally in writing. You then file a Form C-3 with the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board within two years of the injury. Most workers don’t realize the 30-day notice clock is separate from the two-year filing clock — both matter.

1. Notify your foreman or employer of the injury, in writing if possible. Keep a copy.

2. See a doctor. Use a workers’ comp authorized provider. Your employer’s insurer can give you a list, or any clinic that accepts workers’ comp will do.

3. File Form C-3 (employee claim form) with the Workers’ Compensation Board.

4. Track Form C-4 (your treating provider’s report). The Board needs both.

Why you may have a second case the comp adjuster won't tell you about.

Workers’ compensation bars claims against your direct employer. It does not bar claims against everyone else on the construction site. On most New York construction projects, that means you may have a separate, much larger claim against:

This is called a third-party case, and in New York, it is governed by Labor Law §240, §241(6), and §200 — among the strongest worker-protection statutes in the country. Workers’ comp recovery is generally five-figures. A third-party Labor Law recovery, in a serious injury case, can be six or seven figures.

The reason your comp adjuster will not bring this up: their job is to manage the comp claim. They are not your lawyer. They have no obligation to tell you about the second case.

If you are undocumented.

New York workers’ compensation covers undocumented workers. Your immigration status does not bar the claim. The same is true of the third-party Labor Law case. You can pursue both.

Amparo Law Firm does not share information with immigration authorities. Ever.

Common mistakes that cost workers money.

Red flag: "Don't tell them this happened at work."

If a foreman or GC tells you to report your injury as a non-work injury, walk away from that conversation and call a lawyer. This is illegal and the most common way workers lose both their comp claim and the much larger third-party case.

1. Telling the ER you were hurt “at home” when you were hurt on the job.

2. Missing the 30-day notice deadline by trying to “tough it out.”

3. Settling the comp claim without first investigating the third-party case (the comp settlement can affect the third-party recovery).

4. Talking to the GC’s insurer or a “claims investigator” without a lawyer present.

5. Returning to work too early because the comp wage rate is below your normal income.

What to do this week.

Write down the date, time, place, and circumstances of the injury — in your own words, while it’s fresh.

2. Take photos of the scene if you safely can (or have someone do it).

3. Identify witnesses by name and phone number.

4. Notify your employer in writing.

5. See a doctor and get the injury documented.

6. Talk to a lawyer about whether you have a third-party Labor Law case in addition to the comp claim. The first call is free.

Hurt on a job site? Talk to us.

We will tell you whether you have a third-party case in addition to your workers’ comp claim. The conversation is free.

About the author

Bob Amirian, Esq.

Founding and Managing Attorney of Amparo Law Firm. Former Federal Circuit clerk. Venable LLP alumnus. Admitted in NY, CA, TX, and DC. Represents injured construction workers across the five boroughs in English and Spanish.

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Questions we hear most.

I'm undocumented. Can I still recover?

Yes. Immigration status does not bar a Labor Law claim in NY. Communications with us are protected by attorney-client privilege.

Workers' comp already paid me. Can I still sue?

In most cases, yes. Workers’ comp covers your employer. The Labor Law claim is against third parties — property owner, GC, subcontractor. The two run in parallel.

What's the deadline?

Three years from the accident under CPLR §214. If a public entity is involved (NYCHA, a city project), a 90-day Notice of Claim is required under GML §50-e.

Frequently asked questions

Should I talk to the other side's insurance adjuster?

No. Don’t give a recorded statement. Don’t sign anything. Don’t agree to a recorded interview. Get a lawyer first.

Do I need to file a Workers' Comp claim AND a Labor Law case?

In most New York construction injury cases, yes — they’re parallel. Workers’ Comp provides medical and partial wage replacement quickly. The Labor Law case against the owner and GC can produce a much larger recovery for pain-and-suffering, full lost wages, and future damages. We coordinate both.

What happens to the medical bills while the case is pending?

Workers’ Comp covers authorized medical treatment for a work injury. For non-work injuries, your health insurance typically covers care, with any subrogation lien negotiated at settlement. No-Fault covers auto injuries up to $50,000 (Ins. Law §5103). We help coordinate these.

What if I have to miss a lot of work?

Workers’ Comp pays a portion of lost wages on a workplace injury. No-Fault pays up to 80% of lost wages on an auto case, capped at $2,000/month. The Labor Law case recovers the difference plus past and future lost earning capacity.

What's the typical timeline?

Most personal injury cases in New York resolve in 18 months to 3 years. Construction cases with multiple defendants can take longer. We explain milestones — pleadings, discovery, depositions, motion practice, mediation, trial — at every step.