Riverhead Personal Injury
& Employment Lawyer

Riverhead Personal Injury & Employment Attorney

Riverhead is the county seat of Suffolk County and a town of roughly 33,000 residents at the eastern end of Long Island's main population corridor. Situated where the North Fork and South Fork split, Riverhead is home to the Suffolk County Supreme Court and County Center, the Tanger Outlets, the Long Island Aquarium, and serves as the gateway to Long Island's acclaimed wine country. The intersection of Route 58's commercial strip, the Long Island Expressway terminus, and agricultural operations creates a unique mix of traffic, commercial, and workplace hazards. When accidents happen, a skilled personal injury attorney investigates the incident, challenges lowball insurance offers, and fights for fair compensation.

Riverhead's ongoing downtown revitalization — from new waterfront developments along the Peconic River to the expansion of retail and dining along Main Street — brings construction activity and increased foot traffic. Meanwhile, the surrounding agricultural landscape presents its own risks: farm equipment accidents, vineyard worker injuries, and hazardous exposure. Catastrophic injuries from any of these contexts require attorneys who combine legal expertise with the resources to take on well-funded opponents. Our firm, based in Huntington Station, regularly appears at Riverhead's Suffolk County courts.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Riverhead

Personal injury law holds negligent parties accountable when their actions or inaction cause harm. In Riverhead and across Suffolk County, common cases include:

• ✓ Car and truck accidents on Route 58, the Long Island Expressway, Route 25, Route 24, and County Road 51
• ✓ Pedestrian accidents in downtown Riverhead, near the Tanger Outlets, the Long Island Aquarium, and at busy commercial intersections
• ✓ Slip and fall injuries at the Tanger Outlets, restaurants, vineyards and tasting rooms, the Aquarium, and commercial properties along Route 58
• ✓ Construction and agricultural accidents under New York Labor Law §200, §240 (Scaffold Law), and §241(6) — including farm equipment injuries
• ✓ Medical malpractice at Peconic Bay Medical Center, local clinics, and healthcare providers serving the Riverhead area
• ✓ Bicycle accidents involving cyclists on North Fork roads and Riverhead's shared roadways
• ✓ Dog bite injuries in Riverhead parks, trails, and residential neighborhoods
• ✓ Wrongful death claims for Riverhead families who lost loved ones due to another's negligence

Handling traumatic cases requires more than legal knowledge — it demands tenacity. Our attorneys are equipped to challenge insurance companies that aggressively minimize clients' claims, backed by expert witnesses, medical records, and thorough evidence preservation strategies.

Employment Law for Riverhead Workers

Riverhead's workforce spans government and legal services at the County Center, retail at the Tanger Outlets, hospitality and tourism, agriculture and vineyards, healthcare at Peconic Bay Medical Center, and construction. An employment lawyer helps workers navigate disputes including unpaid overtime, safety violations, and wrongful terminations. We enforce protections under federal and state law, including:

• → Workplace discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, religion, or national origin
• → Wrongful termination in violation of state and federal anti-discrimination statutes
• → Pregnancy discrimination and violations of New York's expanded Paid Family Leave Act
• → Employer retaliation against workers who report harassment, safety violations, or fraud
• → Wage and hour violations including unpaid overtime, tip theft, and worker misclassification — especially common in the agricultural, hospitality, and retail sectors

Complex employment cases often hinge on detailed evidence. Documentation like emails, text messages, shift logs, and pay stubs can make or break a claim. Agricultural workers in the Riverhead area face particular vulnerabilities, including language barriers and employer intimidation. If you face harassment or unsafe conditions at a Riverhead-area workplace, report it in writing immediately and keep copies of everything.

When Personal Injury & Employment Law Intersect

An injury at work might involve two legal paths: workers' compensation and a personal injury lawsuit. For instance, a vineyard worker injured by defective harvesting equipment could file for workers' comp while also suing the equipment manufacturer. A construction worker hurt at a downtown Riverhead development project could pursue:

• • Workers' compensation benefits covering medical costs and partial lost wages
• • A third-party liability claim against the general contractor or equipment manufacturer
• • A pain and suffering claim to recover additional damages not covered by workers' comp

Coordinating these claims requires careful timing to maximize compensation without conflicting filings. Our firm's dual expertise in both fields ensures Riverhead clients don't leave money on the table by pursuing only one avenue of recovery.

Critical Deadlines: Don't Wait

Legal deadlines — statutes of limitations — impose strict timeframes for filing claims. Missing them forfeits your rights entirely.

• ! Personal injury: 3 years from the date of the accident in most cases
• ! Municipal claims: 90 days to file a Notice of Claim against a government entity
• ! EEOC discrimination charges: 300 days from the discriminatory act — sometimes less
• ! Surveillance footage: typically overwritten within 30-90 days — act fast to preserve it

Riverhead is the heart of Suffolk County's legal system and the gateway to Long Island's East End. The Law Office of Jason Tenenbaum, P.C. levels the playing field for Riverhead residents and workers against well-funded opponents. Call 516-750-0595 or use our contact form to schedule your free consultation today.