Construction Accidents

If you are a construction worker injured on the job, you may have been able to recover more than a worker's compensation claim: you may also be able to seek compensation in a civil law suit. Check with us immediately. We offer a free initial consultation, and charge no legal fee unless we recover damages for you.

We know the construction industry from the ground up. . .

We know the construction business, and know how to get to the bottom of a case in establishing liability of a construction firm. Attorney Mark A. Murray was a union construction worker while he worked his way through college and law school. As a former member of International Laborers Union Local 731, and a current member of the Communication Workers of America, Local 1101, he is familiar with the inner workings of labor organizations.

As a construction worker and a lawyer, he has seen injured construction workers trying to work with crippled fingers, mangled limbs and bad backs. He knows his way around a construction site and knows which procedures and practices should be followed by construction companies in order to prevent accidents. He also knows which policies and procedures are actually followed by those companies. A fall from a ladder or scaffold, a slip-and-fall, or an accident involving construction equipment, are some of the things that can often be foreseen and prevented by construction companies. Mr. Murray knows how construction companies attempt to avoid liability for such construction accidents.

Early investigation to prevent construction companies from losing or destroying documents may be crucial to an injured construction worker's case. The construction industry has constant turnover of workers from one company to another. Mr. Murray knows the importance of early investigation to find and keep in contact with important witnesses. He also knows how to track down important coworkers, who may be witnesses, through union halls and with the help of excellent investigators.
Some construction companies will try to get a worker to come back too early from a workplace injury and then lay him off, to avoid paying workers' compensation. When municipalities like a city, county or town is involved in a construction project, it must be notified of a claim in writing within 90 days of the accident or else it could become immune from liability.

Getting sound legal advice as soon as possible after a construction accident can be very important to your future. You can rely on Murray & Hopkins to safeguard you from the tricks construction companies, their insurance companies, and their lawyers might attempt to use against your interests. Sound investigation and the ability to try a case in front of a jury, are key elements to our success in construction litigation. We will fight to obtain justice for you. Our goal is to maximize the compensation you deserve for your injury, so you can get back to work if possible and get your life back on track.

Car Accidents, Defective Products & Slip-and-Falls

With the Knowledge and Experience to Recover Damages in …

Car Accidents

Most people learn about negligence when they are injured in a car accident. In New York State almost everybody involved in a car accident is entitled to lost wages, medical expenses and certain other expenses like house cleaning services when injured in a car accident. These benefits are provided though the insurance company for the car you were riding in, even if the accident was entirely your fault. These benefits are commonly called “No-fault benefits” but under your insurance policy, it is called Personal Injury Protection or PIP benefits. The state requires all people with car insurance to carry a minimum of $50,000 of PIP benefits but your insurance company may offer higher benefits for very reasonable premiums. Since these benefits are paid regardless of fault they can be very valuable.

In addition to these No-fault benefits, an injured person may be able to sue anyone who was negligent in causing the injuries. In order to bring such a claim, the injured person must have sustained a “serious injury.”

Unfortunately, what constitutes a serious injury is not what you may think is serious. Rather, it is defined in NY Insurance Law Section 5102 (d) "Serious injury" means a personal injury which results in death; dismemberment; significant disfigurement; a fracture; loss of a fetus; permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system; permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member; significant limitation of use of a body function or system; or a medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of the material acts which constitute such person's usual and customary daily activities for not less than ninety days during the one hundred eighty days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or impairment.

It should not come as a shock that in most of the accidents we deal with the person responsible for causing the accident has no insurance or the minimum required by law. The minimum provides only $25,000 per person and a maximum of $50,000 per accident. It is unfair that a person should be unable to recover more if they have injuries that warrant a greater amount. All New York insurance policies provide for supplemental insurance for those drivers who carry larger than minimum insurance policies to protect yourself with the same insurance you are providing for others. So if you carry $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, you can effectively increase the insurance of anyone who hits you to the same limits. This type of coverage is called SUM coverage. Talk to your insurance broker.

Defective Products

We at Murray And Hopkins have the know how to find...

We at Murray And Hopkins have the experience to help you, with the help of your medical professionals, determine whether your injuries constitute a serious injury under the insurance law.

We also represent people who are injured by defective products, or unsafe property conditions that lead to accidents, such as a slip-and-fall incident. Consumer products may be defective in their design or manufacture, or perhaps they have been improperly labeled with an insufficient warning.

When you are injured through the negligent or reckless behavior of others, insurance companies may try to settle your case before you get legal representation for far less money than you may deserve and need to cover all your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.

By Standing Up For Your Rights. . .

We understand how insurance companies and their representatives think. Insurance companies are looking to minimize their economic exposure when a serious injury or death has occurred. The insurance company attorneys try to undermine each aspect of a claim. We know their tactics. We take each case on as if it will proceed to trial. Negotiations could lead to a settlement acceptable to you. But insurance companies know that the attorneys at Murray & Hopkins are not afraid to take a case all the way to a jury verdict if that is what is necessary to produce the best possible result. Contact us now. We offer a free consultation, and charge no legal fee without recovery.

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