New York Crane Accident Attorney

Serious Construction Site Injuries Are Caused by Crane Accidents Each Year

When heavy machinery causes accidents and injuries, the results can be devastating. The injuries from crane accidents are often life-changing, with long recovery times and extended time away from work. Accident victims often face years of medical and financial uncertainty as they recover and wonder how to pay the bills. 

Common NYC crane accident injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI): Dropped loads and uncontrolled equipment hit workers in their heads and cause significant head trauma. Many injured workers report issues from their TBI for years, including personality changes, depression, anxiety, and diminished intellectual capacity.
• Spinal cord injuries: Mishandled cranes cause everything from back strain/sprain to severed spinal cords. Workers may face paralysis, reduced mobility, diminished strength and coordination, and other conditions that remove them from the workforce.
• Electrocution: As explained above, contact with powers lines is the most common crane accident. When that occurs, the crane becomes an electrical conduit and electrocutes every worker in contact with it. Victims receive burns but may also experience seizures, muscle pain, and other serious injuries. 
• Amputation: Severe blunt-force trauma from dropped loads and flipped cranes can sever limbs from the body. Amputation may also occur if cranes pull workers’ limbs as they fall or operate without control. Losing limbs often leads to disability, diminished work opportunities, depression, and other life-changing mental and physical conditions. Sometimes, accident victims need to change the layout of their homes to accommodate their disabilities. 

If you experience a crane accident on your worksite, it is vital to see a doctor immediately — especially if electrocution is involved. Even if you do not see the signs of injury immediately, many accidents involving heavy equipment cause internal injuries that prove very dangerous. 

How Our New York Crane Accident Lawyers Can Help

Recovering from a crane accident is a full-time job. You likely face extensive medical treatment and multiple surgeries. You may spend much of your time taking painkillers as you wait for your body to heal. Depending on your injuries, you may also require time to rehabilitate and adjust to a new life with paralysis or missing limbs. 

The last thing you need to take up your time is legal claims. As your crane accident lawyers, we act as your advocate so you can receive full and fair compensation in your crane accident case.

Our plan usually includes:

• Case evaluation: We gather the facts about the accident and its impacts on your life during a free consultation and case review. 
• Find responsible parties: Any individuals who contributed to the crane accident may be responsible for your injuries. They may include property owners, construction companies, general contractors, engineers, subcontractors, or architects. We pursue all possible liable parties so we can maximize your recovery amount. 
• Gather medical information: We collect and review medical records, tally treatment bills, and find experts to testify on your behalf. This step ensures you receive reimbursement for medical expenses and builds a strong case regarding your injuries and how they affect your life. 
• File for workers’ compensation benefits: While you recover, you need income. Workers’ compensation is the best way to secure that income, and it pays for your medical treatment. 
• Pursue a personal injury lawsuit: In some cases, worker’s compensation benefits are inadequate, or a party other than your employer is responsible for your injuries. When that occurs, we pursue a personal injury claim on your behalf. Besides addressing your medical bills and lost wages, a personal injury lawsuit also seeks compensation for pain and suffering. 
• Pursue a wrongful death lawsuit: Our injury attorneys also represent people who lost a loved one in a crane accident. Damages include lost income, final illness expenses, funeral costs, and pain and suffering. Insurance companies often prey on vulnerable grieving people to settle for as little as possible. With our law office on your side, you no longer have to worry about that.

How Do Crane Accidents Happen in New York City? 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards to protect workers in the construction industry, but unfortunately, many supervisors cut corners. A need to finish projects quickly to benefit from the bottom line sooner often overrules whether construction workers will leave the site injury-free. 

Employees and crane operators are most at risk working for private construction companies; according to data from the BLS, 43-percent of crane deaths occurred on private worksites. The manufacturing and marine sectors face fewer injuries and fatalities. 

Cutting corners causes especially egregious injuries when it occurs with heavy machinery like cranes.

Safety violations and common causes of crane accidents include:

• Contact with power lines (nearly 45-percent of accidents)
• Dropped loads
• Damaged hoist and crane boom
• Overloaded cranes
• Rigging failures
• Overturned cranes
• Improper set-up
• Failure to inspect and maintain cranes
• Using the wrong crane for the job
• Pushing cranes outside operations limits and manufacturer’s specifications
• Crane collapse
• Operation by unqualified for untrained personnel
• Failure to mount cranes on firm and stable platforms

When a crane collapses, falls, or causes injury crane operators are the least likely to sustain injuries; they account for the lowest crane fatalities. Construction laborers are most likely to face injury and death from cranes, followed by electricians, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. 

If you are involved in a crane accident, and you can do so, make sure you:

• Seek immediate medical attention
• Report injuries to your employer or site manager 
• Note who and when you told of your accident
• Gather statements and contact information of anyone who observed the accident
• Take photographs of the accident scene, any failed equipment, and injuries