Cranes are everywhere in New York, lifting steel and materials over busy streets and active job sites. When a crane collapses, drops a load or a rigging line fails, the results can be catastrophic for workers below and for people on the sidewalk. A New York crane accident lawyer can explain who is responsible and how to recover full compensation.
How crane accidents happen
- Dropped loads from improper rigging, overloaded lifts or failed slings
- Crane collapses from wind, overloading, improper assembly or ground failure
- Boom contact with power lines or structures
- Swing-radius injuries to workers struck by the rotating crane
- Operator error and poor signaling between operator and riggers
Labor Law § 240(1) and falling objects
New York’s Scaffold Law, Labor Law § 240(1), covers objects that fall because they weren’t properly hoisted or secured. When a load drops because the hoisting or securing devices were inadequate, owners and general contractors can be held liable to injured workers even if they weren’t supervising the lift. Labor Law § 241(6) adds liability for violations of specific Industrial Code rules on hoisting and rigging.
Who can be held responsible?
- The property owner and general contractor
- The crane rental company
- The rigging subcontractor
- The crane manufacturer, if a defect caused the failure
- Maintenance and inspection companies
Cranes in New York City are also regulated by the NYC Department of Buildings, whose permits, inspections and violations can be important evidence.
Workers’ comp and third-party claims
Injured workers can usually collect workers’ comp from their employer and also bring a third-party lawsuit against the owner, general contractor or other companies on site. The third-party case can recover pain and suffering and full lost earnings, which workers’ comp doesn’t pay.
Injured bystanders
Pedestrians, drivers and neighbors hurt by crane accidents can bring negligence claims against the companies responsible for the lift. If a public project was involved, a notice of claim may be due within 90 days.
Talk to a New York crane accident lawyer
Crane cases require fast action to preserve the crane, rigging, load charts, lift plans and operator records. We represent injured workers and bystanders throughout New York City and Nassau County. Learn more on our construction accident page and in our NYC crane accident article. See also OSHA’s construction safety standards.
Visit Yakov Mushiyev & Associates
Our office is at 1 Cross Island Plaza, Suite 325, Rosedale, NY 11422, just off the Cross Island Parkway on the Queens–Nassau border. If you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you: at home, in the hospital or by video.
Talk to a New York crane accident lawyer today
Yakov Mushiyev & Associates has recovered over $80 million for injured New Yorkers across the five boroughs and Nassau County. Consultations are free, available in English, Russian and Spanish, and there is no fee unless we win.
Call 718.775.3110 or contact us online for a free case review.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different. Attorney Advertising.