49 NY construction workers died in falls in 2024

By AI, Created 11:25 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – New York recorded 217 fatal work injuries in 2024, including 50 in construction and 49 tied to falls, slips and trips, according to federal data. Gorayeb & Associates says many surviving families do not realize they may have claims beyond workers’ compensation, especially in cases involving Latino and foreign-born workers.

Why it matters: - Construction deaths leave families without a primary wage earner and often facing legal claims they do not know how to pursue. - The impact is especially severe for New York’s Latino workforce, which accounted for 26% of fatal work injuries in the state in 2024. - Family recoveries can extend beyond workers’ compensation under New York law, including claims for lost wages, lost parental guidance, and funeral expenses.

What happened: - New York State recorded 217 fatal work injuries in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. - Of those deaths, 50 occurred in construction and 49 were caused by falls, slips and trips. - Nationally, the BLS reported 1,032 fatalities among construction and extraction workers in 2024, equal to one worker dying every 104 minutes from a work-related injury. - Hispanics or Latinos accounted for 56 fatal work injuries in New York in 2024. - Nationwide, the BLS recorded 1,229 Hispanic or Latino fatalities in 2024, and 68.5% of those deaths occurred among foreign-born workers.

The details: - A 2023 BLS Spotlight on Statistics report found foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers were 8.2% of the U.S. workforce in 2021 but 14.0% of all work-related deaths. - Christopher J. Gorayeb, founder and managing partner of Gorayeb & Associates, said many families wrongly believe workers’ compensation is the end of the road. - Gorayeb said New York families may pursue property owners, general contractors and subcontractors if negligence contributed to a fatal fall. - New York Labor Law §240, known as the Scaffold Law, imposes absolute liability on property owners and general contractors when a worker dies in a fall. - Wrongful death claims under the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law can seek lost wages, lost parental guidance and funeral expenses, separate from workers’ compensation. - Gorayeb urged families to contact the firm before responding to an insurance company.

Between the lines: - The data points to a sharp overlap between construction risk, fall hazards and language or immigration-related barriers to legal recovery. - Families may miss claims because the legal framework in New York extends beyond the workers’ compensation system. - The figures suggest a broader public-safety problem as well as a litigation issue for contractors, owners and insurers.

What’s next: - Gorayeb & Associates says surviving spouses, children and parents may need to move quickly to preserve wrongful death claims. - Families facing a fatal construction injury may need to identify every potentially liable party, not just an employer. - The firm says services are available in Spanish and English for injured-worker families.

The bottom line: - Federal data show construction fall deaths remain a major cause of workplace fatalities in New York, and many affected families may have legal options they do not realize exist.