Danger Working in Construction: Crane Accidents
With the amount of new construction and renovation happening in New York City, construction workers and the public alike face dangers on a daily basis.
Crane companies don’t always take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the public and construction workers on the site.
Just last month the New York Department of Buildings fined United Crane and Rigging $110,000 and stopped their crane work citywide. The fines and precautionary measures occurred after two major crane accidents, one in the East Village and one in lower Manhattan.
In the East Village, hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate their apartments when a crane partially collapsed into their building. In another accident in lower Manhattan, a worker was crushed to death when a crane counterweight fell on him.
Concerned that accidents like these could and should have been prevented, the DOB demanded that United Crane and Rigging make some changes.
“We’ve put a requirement in that they get a new team to run their operations, as well as a safety manager to oversee overall safety and report to us directly every 30 days as to what actions they’re taking and to make sure that they’re operating safely,” said Timothy Hogan, the DOB deputy commissioner of enforcement.
As crane accident lawyers, we have seen time and again the effects of the failure of crane companies, the general contractor and land owners to follow the safety guidelines and regulations governing crane activity in this city. When the safety guidelines are properly followed, cranes don’t collapse or injure others.
If you or a loved has experienced catastrophic injury and damage because of a crane accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Our crane accident attorneys have decades of experience representing the victims of hazardous construction sites and the injuries that can result when something goes wrong. If you have questions relating to a crane accident, give us a call us to learn your rights.
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