A boom truck arm collapsed and fell onto a vehicle in the Bronx injuring the driver who was in the car and a nearby pedestrian. According to a CBS New York news report, Danielle Cruz, a 22-year-old student at Lehman College, was in her car on Bedford Park Boulevard near Grand Concourse when a part of a construction vehicle known as the boom truck crashed down on her car. She was stopped at a red light on her way to class.
Victim Escaped Major Injury
The New York City Department of Buildings says the boom truck was lifting a load
of metal from a trailer onto the roof of an 11-story residential construction project when the arm of the boom failed and collapsed. Cruz said the glass shattered back on her and her car’s roof collapsed and hit the top of her head. CBS 2 reports that the general contractor on this project is one of five companies the city sued in May for their involvement in another construction project in Queens.
Cruz said she was left with head, neck and back pain after the incident. The pedestrian also did not suffer life-threatening injuries. Officials said it was indeed fortunate that both victims — Cruz in particular — escaped without suffering catastrophic or fatal injuries. Cruz said firefighters mentioned to her that had she moved even two inches forward, the boom truck would have crushed her. We wish Cruz and the other injured victim the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Safety Violations at Construction Site
Following the collapse, city inspectors said they discovered three violations on site at 33 Bedford Pak Boulevard where an 11-story new residential building is being constructed. Those violations included failure to safeguard the construction site, failure to have the hoist or construction elevator in a state of readiness and failure to obtain electrical permits for temporary lighting at the site.
City Hall has ordered contractors to stop all deliveries to the building and stop doing any work 75 feet above the ground or higher, at least until they fix what inspectors have called “unsafe conditions” at the construction site. About 29 workers were evacuated as a precaution. DOB officials say a preliminary investigation has found that as the crane-lift device on the boom truck was raising metal bars from a trailer onto the roof, the arm of the boom failed and collapsed.
In June 2021, DOB officials shut down more than 300 construction sites after inspectors found glaring safety violations. News outlets reported that the department shut down 322 sites, more than a third of which were in Brooklyn, following a massive safety sweep. So far, seven workers have been killed in construction site accidents just in 2021, including three in the month of May alone.
In 2020, 502 construction-related injuries were reported and in 2019, 595 workers were injured. Most injuries occurred when workers fell because they were not wearing safety harnesses while working on higher floors. Of the stop-work orders issued this month, 113 were handed out at Brooklyn worksites, 83 in Manhattan, 69 in Queens and 54 in the Bronx.
Compensation for Injured Victims
Crane accidents can result in serious injuries not only for construction workers, but also passersby. Injuries from crane collapse accidents can prove catastrophic or even fatal. Injured victims or families of deceased crane accident victims can seek compensation from at-fault parties including, but not limited to, the construction company, general contractor, subcontractor, building owner, crane operator, maintenance firm, etc. Injured workers can seek workers’ compensation benefits from their employers to help cover medical expenses and a portion of the lost wages. Families of deceased victims can seek compensation by filing a wrongful death claim.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a crane accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. For over 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job — one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year. Our law firm also recovered $3,000,000 for a man who fell and suffered two broken legs when he walked into an open elevator shaft. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/boom-truck-collapses-on-car-in-the-bronx/