Accident Lawyer Steven Louros Publishes Scaffold Law Guide as Federal Push Targets §240
Manhattan accident lawyer Steven Louros published a new resource explaining New York Labor Law §240 on March 04, 2026, aiming to clarify Scaffold Law protections for injured construction workers as a national coalition pushes for federal preemption.
Accident Lawyer releases bilingual Scaffold Law resource
The Law Office of Steven Louros said the guide lays out the heightened duty of care under Labor Law §240 and the protections available to workers on scaffolding, ladders and hoists in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Steven Louros wrote that "Construction workers put their lives on the line every day building New York City, and too many of them are seriously injured because property owners and contractors cut corners on safety. " The firm noted the resource is available in English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean and Spanish and that it offers free consultations and contingency-fee representation; it lists a contact phone number of 481-5275 and has offices in Manhattan, Flushing, Brooklyn and Long Island.
Federal bill would change liability on federally funded projects
A statewide coalition called Build More New York is pushing for federal intervention through the Infrastructure Expansion Act proposed by Rep. Nick Langworthy, which would preempt the Scaffold Law on projects that receive federal funding. The proposal would apply a comparative negligence standard to those projects, including developments that receive federal low-income housing tax credits, and coalition adviser John Faso — who proposed similar legislation in 2017 — said federal preemption is seen as the only path given the current state legislative dynamics, adding that "The trial lawyers and the building trades have a hammer lock on the state legislature. "
Costs, opposition and the immediate policy fight
Supporters argue comparative negligence would lower construction insurance costs cited by the Building Trades Employers’ Association, which estimated insurance represents 8 to 10 percent of total construction costs in New York compared with 2 to 4 percent in states using a comparative negligence standard. Opponents include construction unions; Building and Construction Trades Council President Gary LaBarbera wrote that the bill would be an attack on worker protection and state autonomy and described the Scaffold Law as "a beacon of construction site safety and contractor accountability for more than a century. " Gov. Kathy Hochul did not include scaffold law changes in her executive budget.
The coalition is seeking to attach the Infrastructure Expansion Act to a must-pass measure and is pushing for its inclusion in the surface transportation authorization bill that will replace the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which expires in September.
Louros’s guide aims to help injured workers and their families understand how Labor Law §240 can be used to hold property owners and contractors accountable when safety measures fail. The accident lawyer emphasized access for diverse communities by offering multilingual materials and said injured workers can contact the firm for a consultation at the listed phone number.
Policy watchers and advocates will be watching whether the Infrastructure Expansion Act is folded into the surface transportation authorization process before the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires in September; the coalition has said that is its path to change.
