New York’s Scaffold Law: Why Construction Workers Have Special Protection

Construction work is dangerous, especially in New York City. Workers are often on ladders, scaffolds, roofs, lifts, and other elevated areas. One mistake can cause serious, life-changing injuries.

What Is the Scaffold Law?

New York’s “Scaffold Law” is also known as Labor Law § 240. It requires owners and contractors to provide proper safety equipment for workers facing height-related dangers.

The law may apply when:

• a worker falls from a height;
• a worker is injured by a falling object;
• proper safety equipment was missing, unsafe, or not enough.

Does It Apply to Every Construction Accident?

The Scaffold Law does not apply to every accident on a job site. The injured worker still has to show that the law was violated, the violation caused the injury, and that the accident involved the kind of height-related risk the law protects against.

Krifca v. Bronx-Lebanon Special Care Center, a New York case decided in 2026, demonstrates how the Scaffold Law can protect injured construction workers. In that case, a worker was injured while roofing materials were being lifted during a roof replacement project. The materials fell and hit the worker before they were safely secured. 

The court ruled that the worker was protected under Labor Law § 240. The accident involved a gravity-related danger, which is exactly the type of risk the Scaffold Law was created to address. Indeed, the Scaffold Law does not only apply when a worker falls from a ladder or scaffold. It can also apply when heavy materials fall because proper safety devices were not used.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured on a construction site, speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Kenneth Kerner understands New York construction accident cases and knows what evidence to look for, including photos, witness statements, safety records, and the equipment that was, or was not, provided.

Authored by Hannah Taylor