New Jersey Construction Accident Lawyer

A construction accident rarely produces a single defendant. The injured worker may be employed by a subcontractor, supervised by a general contractor, working on equipment leased from a third company, on a site owned by someone else entirely, and that tangle of relationships is what decides who can be held responsible and how much a case can recover. New Jersey construction accident lawyer representation at Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC starts with sorting out that web. The firm handles personal injury and construction matters for clients in Monmouth County, Ocean County, Middlesex County, and across the state.

The stakes tend to be higher here than in an ordinary injury case. Falls from scaffolds and roofs, trench collapses, crushing injuries from heavy equipment, and electrocutions often cause long-term disability, not just a few weeks away from work. Medical bills, lost earning capacity, and the cost of changing how a family lives can stretch across decades, and the claims process is more layered than most people expect.

Workers’ compensation covers many injured workers, but it is usually only the first layer of recovery. When a company other than your own employer contributed to the accident, a separate injury claim may be available, and that claim can reach damages that compensation benefits do not, including pain and suffering.

Why Choose Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC for a Construction Injury Claim

Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a full-service New Jersey firm that represents individuals, families, and business owners throughout Monmouth County, including Red Bank, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park, as well as clients in Ocean and Middlesex Counties. The firm’s personal injury lawyers pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, and they deal directly with insurance companies so injured clients can concentrate on recovery. The firm’s recent results include $400,000 recovered for personal injury clients in just three months.

What sets the firm apart on construction cases is the pairing of injury work with real construction knowledge. Joshua Cittadino, Founding Partner, has experience in construction litigation, personal injury, real estate, employment matters, and business transactions. That mix matters because a site accident is often as much a contract problem as an injury problem: who hired whom, who was responsible for safety, what the subcontract says about insurance and indemnity. The firm’s construction practice represents contractors, subcontractors, developers, and property owners in contract disputes, liens, defect claims, and litigation, so the attorneys understand how projects are organized from the inside.

Richard Sanvenero, Managing Partner, and Mike Canarick, Of Counsel and a tax and estate planning attorney, round out a team that can coordinate when a serious injury ripples into a family’s finances, a business, or long-term planning. The firm’s attorneys are admitted in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and several have been recognized by Super Lawyers. Clients can expect the team to communicate clearly, return calls, and explain each step in plain terms.

Common Ways Construction Workers and Bystanders Get Hurt

• Falls from Heights: Scaffolds, ladders, roofs, and open floor edges produce some of the most devastating injuries on residential and commercial sites. Residential roofing and framing across the Jersey Shore and commercial build-outs in places like Red Bank and Freehold all carry this risk, and missing guardrails, unsecured ladders, or defective scaffold components often point to a third party beyond the employer.
• Struck-By and Caught-In Accidents: Falling tools and materials, swinging loads, and workers pinned between equipment and a structure are frequent causes of fractures, crush injuries, and amputations. Crane and hoist operators, equipment owners, and riggers can all become part of the liability picture.
• Trench and Excavation Collapses: Utility and foundation work requires shoring and protective systems, and a collapse can bury a worker in seconds. Claims often turn on who controlled the excavation and who was responsible for inspecting it.
• Electrical Injuries: Contact with overhead lines, improperly grounded tools, and faulty temporary wiring cause burns, cardiac injuries, and nerve damage. Coastal projects near utility lines are a particular concern.
• Defective Equipment and Tools: When a nail gun, lift, saw, or safety harness fails, a product liability claim against the manufacturer or distributor may sit alongside the workers’ compensation claim.
• Vehicle and Heavy Machinery Accidents on Site: Dump trucks, loaders, and forklifts injure workers and passersby, including pedestrians near public-facing work zones. Truck and pedestrian accident claims can reach drivers, their employers, and the companies that hired them.
• Premises Hazards for Visitors: Inspectors, delivery drivers, and passersby who are hurt because a site was poorly secured or marked may have claims against the owner or contractor in control of the property.
• Wrongful Death: When a site accident kills a worker, surviving family members may be able to bring a wrongful death claim in addition to any workers’ compensation death benefits.

What to Do After a Construction Site Injury

Get medical care first, and tell every provider exactly how the injury happened and where it hurts, including the minor complaints. Adrenaline hides a lot on a construction site, and a back or head injury that seems manageable on day one can look very different a week later. Gaps in treatment and vague first reports are the details insurers seize on later.

Report the injury to your employer promptly and in writing if you can, since workers’ compensation depends on timely notice. Then separate that process from the larger question of who else may be responsible. Do not sign anything from an insurer, give a recorded statement, or accept a quick settlement before you understand whether a third party is involved. Early offers tend to reflect the first weeks of medical bills, not the long-term picture.

If you are able, or if a coworker or family member can help, preserve evidence before the site changes. Photograph the area, the equipment, any missing safety gear, and your injuries. Write down the names of coworkers who saw what happened, the names of every company working on the project, and anything a supervisor said afterward. Construction sites are altered daily, and a collapsed scaffold or failed railing may be repaired or removed within hours.

Mind the deadline. New Jersey generally gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, and a wrongful death case must also be filed within two years of the date of death. If a government entity is involved, such as a public works project, a 90 day notice of claim requirement applies, which is far shorter and easy to miss. Property damage claims carry a longer six year window. In Monmouth County, injury lawsuits are heard in the Superior Court, while Ocean and Middlesex County cases are heard in their own vicinages; the right venue depends on where the accident happened and where the defendants do business.

Workers’ Compensation Versus a Third-Party Injury Claim

The distinction between these two paths is the single most important concept in a construction injury case. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system: you receive medical treatment and partial wage benefits without proving anyone was careless, but you generally cannot sue your own employer in exchange. It does not pay for pain and suffering.

A third-party claim is different. If someone other than your employer contributed to your injury, such as a general contractor, another subcontractor, an equipment owner, a property owner, or a manufacturer, you may be able to sue that party for the full range of damages, including pain and suffering. On a typical construction site with multiple companies working at once, these opportunities come up often, and identifying them requires reading contracts, site records, and safety documentation, not just the incident report.

These two tracks interact. Workers’ compensation carriers may have a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery, and the way a case is settled can affect that reimbursement. Handling both tracks through one legal team avoids contradictory statements and missed claims.

How Fault Is Divided When Several Parties Share the Blame

New Jersey follows a comparative negligence rule. An injured person can recover as long as their own share of fault is not greater than that of the party they are suing, which means a plaintiff found more than 50 percent at fault is barred. Any recovery is reduced by the plaintiff’s percentage of fault. Insurers on construction claims routinely argue that the injured worker ignored a safety rule, skipped a harness, or used equipment improperly, so how the facts are documented from the start can shift the outcome.

Where more than one defendant is responsible, a defendant found at least 60 percent at fault can be required to cover the entire judgment, while a defendant below that threshold is generally liable only for its own share. This is why the full cast of companies on a project matters so much. A smaller subcontractor with limited insurance may be only one of several responsible parties, and finding the others can be the difference between a recovery that covers a lifetime of care and one that does not.

Questions About New Jersey Construction Accident Claims

Can I file a lawsuit if I am receiving workers’ compensation?

Yes, if someone other than your employer helped cause the accident. Workers’ compensation bars most suits against your direct employer, but it does not stop a separate claim against a general contractor, another subcontractor, an equipment owner, a property owner, or a product manufacturer.

How long do I have to file a construction accident lawsuit in New Jersey?

In most injury cases, two years from the date the injury happened. A wrongful death action also must be filed within two years of the date of death. Claims involving a government entity require a notice of claim within 90 days, so those cases need attention almost immediately.

What if I was partly at fault for the accident?

You may still recover. New Jersey allows recovery as long as your share of fault is not greater than that of the party you are suing, and your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found more than 50 percent responsible, you cannot recover.

Who can be held liable for a construction site injury?

Possible defendants include general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, developers, equipment lessors, and manufacturers of defective tools or safety gear. Liability depends on who controlled the work, the site, and the equipment, and on what the project contracts required.

What damages can I recover beyond workers’ compensation benefits?

A third-party claim can include medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering. Workers’ compensation does not compensate for pain and suffering, which is why identifying a liable third party can significantly change the value of a case.

What should I do if my employer pressures me not to report the injury?

Report it anyway, in writing when possible, and get medical treatment. Delayed reporting can jeopardize a workers’ compensation claim and give insurers room to question how the injury happened. Employers who discourage reporting are one more reason to talk to a lawyer early.

Can I bring a claim if I was a subcontractor or independent contractor rather than an employee?

Possibly. Your classification affects whether workers’ compensation applies and who you can sue, and misclassification is common in construction. Because Joshua Cittadino has experience in employment matters as well as construction litigation, the firm can look closely at how your working relationship was actually structured.

What if the company that hurt me has little or no insurance?

Smaller contractors sometimes carry limited coverage, which makes it important to find every responsible party, including property owners, general contractors, and equipment owners whose policies may apply. Contracts between the companies on a project often contain insurance and indemnity provisions that can open additional sources of recovery.

Does a construction accident claim affect my ability to go back to work?

It can raise practical issues, such as work restrictions, light-duty offers, and disputes over whether you can return. Recovery in an injury claim can account for lost earning capacity when an injury permanently limits the work you can do, so medical documentation of your restrictions matters.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer if my injury seems minor?

Often yes, particularly on construction sites. Injuries that seem modest at first, such as back, neck, and shoulder injuries, can worsen, and early settlement offers rarely account for that. A consultation costs little and can clarify whether a third-party claim exists before the deadline passes.

Can family members bring a claim if a construction worker is killed?

Yes. Surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim against responsible third parties, separate from any workers’ compensation death benefits, and the filing deadline is two years from the date of death.

Serving Construction Injury Clients Across Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties

Our construction injury work begins in Monmouth County, where the firm represents injured workers and families in Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park. Active building along the Jersey Shore, from commercial renovation to residential new construction, keeps crews working across these communities year-round, and the firm also represents clients hurt on projects in neighboring towns.

We also serve injured workers in Ocean County, including Toms River and surrounding communities, and throughout Middlesex County, as well as clients statewide whose accident happened elsewhere in New Jersey. Whether the injury occurred on a home addition, a commercial build, a public works project, or an industrial site, the same questions apply about who controlled the work, who owed a duty of safety, and who should answer for the harm.

Talk With a New Jersey Construction Accident Attorney

If you or someone in your family was hurt on a construction site, the sooner a New Jersey construction accident attorney can review the facts, the more likely it is that evidence is preserved and every responsible party is identified. Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC will walk through what happened, explain how workers’ compensation and a third-party claim fit together, and tell you plainly what the next steps look like. Call the firm to schedule a consultation.