Manhattan accounted for 147 of New York City’s 320 construction injuries in 2025, nearly half the citywide total [1]. Midtown alone logged 49 of them [2]. And with two months left in 2026, Manhattan job sites have already reported as many incidents to the Department of Buildings as they did in all of last year [2].
This report breaks those numbers down by community district. It uses the DOB incident database, which records each reported construction accident, injury and death, along with the department’s annual Construction Safety Report.
Manhattan’s Construction Injury Trend, 2020 to 2025
| Year | Manhattan Injuries | Manhattan Deaths | Citywide Injuries | Manhattan Share of Injuries |
| 2020 | 289 | 2 | 502 | 57.6% |
| 2021 | 300 | 3 | 505 | 59.4% |
| 2022 | 255 | 2 | 554 | 46.0% |
| 2023 | 264 | 3 | 692 | 38.2% |
| 2024 | 201 | 3 | 482 | 41.7% |
| 2025 | 147 | 2 | 320 | 45.9% |
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Construction Safety Report 2025 [1]. Shares calculated from published totals.
Manhattan construction injuries fell by roughly half between 2020 and 2025 [1]. The borough’s share of the citywide total dropped too, then climbed back to 45.9% last year [1]. Citywide deaths rose to 10 in 2025, up from 7 in 2024, while Manhattan recorded two [1].
Injuries by Community District, 2024 to October 2026
| Rank | Community District | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (Jan. to Oct.) | Total Injuries | Deaths |
| 1 | Midtown (CD 5) | 44 | 49 | 40 | 133 | 1 |
| 2 (tie) | Stuyvesant Town and Turtle Bay (CD 6) | 22 | 12 | 21 | 55 | 1 |
| 2 (tie) | Clinton and Chelsea (CD 4) | 26 | 20 | 9 | 55 | 0 |
| 2 (tie) | Upper East Side (CD 8) | 23 | 17 | 15 | 55 | 0 |
| 5 | Financial District (CD 1) | 15 | 14 | 24 | 53 | 0 |
| 6 | Greenwich Village and SoHo (CD 2) | 19 | 13 | 10 | 42 | 0 |
| 7 | Upper West Side (CD 7) | 9 | 11 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| 8 | Washington Heights and Inwood (CD 12) | 18 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 1 |
| 9 | Lower East Side and Chinatown (CD 3) | 11 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 0 |
| 10 | East Harlem (CD 11) | 8 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 2 |
| 11 | Central Harlem (CD 10) | 8 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | Morningside Heights and Hamilton Heights (CD 9) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Manhattan total | 208 | 150 | 142 | 500 | 5 |
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Construction-Related Incidents, NYC Open Data, retrieved October 29, 2026 [2]. Manhattan totals include Central Park (CD 64) and 2026 records with no district listed. DOB updates the database as reports come in, so its 2025 total of 150 injuries differs slightly from the 147 in the annual report.
Midtown produced 133 of the borough’s 500 recorded construction injuries since January 2024, more than one in four [2]. Its count has been 40 or higher in each of the three years [2]. The next three districts finished in a tie at 55 each.
East Harlem has a short injury list but the highest death count of any district, with one fatal incident in 2024 and another in 2025 [2]. Washington Heights and Inwood went from 18 injuries in 2024 to two in 2025 and two so far in 2026 [2].
2026 Is Running Ahead of Last Year
Through late October, DOB had logged 184 construction incidents in Manhattan for 2026 [2]. That matches the full-year 2025 total of 184 [2]. Injuries stood at 142, eight short of last year’s count [2].
The Financial District’s 24 injuries so far in 2026 already exceed its totals for 2024 and 2025 [2]. Stuyvesant Town and Turtle Bay nearly doubled, from 12 to 21 [2].
What Is Hurting Workers
| DOB Incident Category | 2025 Injuries | 2026 Injuries (Jan. to Oct.) |
| Worker fell | 79 | 57 |
| Other construction related | 47 | 54 |
| Mechanical construction equipment | 7 | 19 |
| Material failure (object fell) | 12 | 11 |
| Scaffold or shoring installation | 4 | 1 |
| Excavation or soil work | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 150 | 142 |
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, Construction-Related Incidents, NYC Open Data, Manhattan records [2].
Falls caused 79 of Manhattan’s 150 recorded construction injuries in 2025 [2]. Citywide, worker falls accounted for 6 of the 10 construction deaths that year [1]. Injuries tied to mechanical construction equipment have nearly tripled in 2026, from seven to 19 [2].
Falls and New York’s Scaffold Law
New York’s Labor Law §240(1) makes owners and contractors responsible for providing proper ladders, scaffolding, hoists and other protection to workers at elevation [3]. When that equipment is missing or fails and a worker falls, liability can attach to the owner or general contractor even when the worker’s own employer is protected by workers’ compensation [3][4].
The firm’s page on how Labor Law 240 claims work explains the elements in more detail. Eric Richman handles the injury claim against the owner and contractors, and he works with the workers’ compensation firm Pasternack Tilker on the comp side of the same case. One of his clients was given no proper ladder or safety gear, fell more than ten feet and broke both ankles. He never returned to work, and the case resolved for $2.25 million.
Readers comparing representation can review this ranking of Manhattan construction accident attorneys, along with the firm’s full list of personal injury practice areas.
If you were hurt on a Manhattan construction site and you need legal guidance or would like to discuss your case, contact Eric Richman at (212) 688-3965 for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Manhattan neighborhood has the most construction injuries?
Midtown (Community District 5) leads the borough. DOB’s incident database recorded 133 construction injuries there from January 2024 through October 2026, more than a quarter of Manhattan’s total.
How many people were injured in Manhattan construction incidents in 2025?
The Department of Buildings’ 2025 Construction Safety Report counts 147 construction injuries and two deaths in Manhattan. That was 45.9% of the citywide injury total of 320.
Can an injured construction worker sue if they receive workers’ compensation?
Workers’ compensation generally bars a lawsuit against the worker’s own employer. A worker can still bring a claim against the property owner or general contractor, and Labor Law §240(1) makes them responsible for fall protection at elevation.
Sources
1. NYC Department of Buildings. (2026). Construction Safety Report 2025. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/csr2025.pdf
2. NYC Department of Buildings. Construction-related incidents [Data set]. NYC Open Data. Retrieved October 29, 2026. https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/bf97-mjsy
3. New York State Senate. Labor Law § 240: Scaffolding and other devices for use of employees. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LAB/240
4. New York State Senate. Workers’ Compensation Law § 11: Alternative remedy. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/WKC/11
