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Cranes are the most hazardous pieces of construction equipment. Particularly in New York City, the risk of a crane accident is high. Since cranes reach great heights and carry heavy loads, people injured in an accident with a crane suffer severe, often fatal, injuries.
What Causes Construction Crane Injuries?
There is a broad range of causes of crane accidents in the city. In fact, there are strict regulations regarding the safe operation of these giant machines.
Many accidents occur when the safety measures are not adequately enforced on construction sites, or the appropriate safety techniques are not taught.
Crane accidents can be caused by:
- Falling loads – cranes that carry loads beyond their capacity risk chain failure. Sometimes, the load may be the appropriate size, but inadequate hoist lines result in the chain snapping and the load falling.
- Falling – cranes can fall due to safety harness failures and high winds.
- Inadequate maintenance – cranes should undergo annual inspections, but since many machines are rented, their maintenance history isn’t known.
- Electrocution – if any part of the machine comes into contact with a live wire, people can be electrocuted.
- Rigging failure – insufficient or inadequate equipment compromises a load and can result in it slipping or breaking free.
- Tipping over – this is a grave danger for mobile cranes. If the crane is swung too quickly or lifts a load beyond its capacity, it could tip over.
- Poor assembly – a crane should always be assembled correctly. Not using enough parts or substituting parts can compromise the overall structure of the machine.
- Boom collapse – booms on the machines can collapse if the crane is no blocked properly or is overloaded.
What You Should Do After a Crane Accident
If you or someone you know has been injured in a crane accident, you could be entitled to compensation. You might also be eligible to pursue further legal action, depending on your case.
There are two options for pursuing compensation after an accident:
- You can file a worker’s compensation claim. If you are a covered employee, you will be covered for on-the-job injury, whether or not negligence or a mistake was the cause of the damage. Such claims include limited payment for loss of wages, cover for medical bills, and disability benefit if necessary. If a worker lost his life in the accident, death benefits might be provided.
- You can file a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim. You cannot file either of these against an employer, but you can pursue legal action against a third party that was responsible, such as the crane manufacturer.
Contact Our New York City Law Firm for Assistance
At Dansker & Aspromonte, we aim for maximum compensation for our accident victims. What’s more, we do not charge you fees until we win or settle. Our NYC construction accident lawyers serve the NYC Metro, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island areas.
Call us at 212-732-2929 or get in touch online if you or a loved one has suffered death or a serious injury due to a crane accident.