A construction crane fell on to a building in Queens the morning of July 2. According to a PIX11 news report, no one was injured in the crane collapse, which occurred at a building on 36th Avenue between 35th and 36th streets in Astoria. Officials said no injuries were reported. Construction workers on the scene told PIX11 News that it was a new apartment building under construction.
Possibly Overloaded Crane
A worker said the crane was loading steel beams into place when apparently the load became too heavy. The worker who was inside the truck was not injured. The incident happened at a new nine-story building project, which is currently constructed up to the second and third floors, according to the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB).
Inspectors found that the end of the boom hit a building directly behind the construction site causing damage to the roof. Contractors brought in a master rigger and two recovery cranes to the scene to safely upright the boom truck and remove it from the scene, DOB officials said. Also, according to the DOB website, the building had several violations and complaints including one open complaint. It is indeed a relief that no one was injured in this crane accident.
What Causes Crane Accidents?
There are many reasons why crane accidents occur. As in this particular case, when a crane is not properly loaded or is overloaded, there is a chance that it may buckle or cause the boom to collapse. One reason why a boom collapses is lack of proper assembly. This is often true when the crane doesn’t have proper supports to help stabilize the load.
Proper employee training is also critical when it comes to safe crane operation. When employees are inexperienced or don’t receive sufficient training, there is an increased risk of a crane accident. Workers should have also completed safety courses pertaining to crane operation. In any worksite, it is important that crane components should be regularly inspected and maintained. Failure to do so may result in mechanical failure. Crane collapses also occur during inclement weather such as high winds and when cranes are not properly secured.
Safety at Worksites
Last month, 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 this year, including three in the month of May alone.
Last year, 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.
A lot of construction activity in New York requires working from a height or elevation. A number of laborers – from painters, electricians and carpenters to bricklayers and ironworkers – work on scaffolds. Construction workers who are at a higher risk of fatalities include steelworkers, carpenters, masons, laborers, electricians, ironworkers and those employed with roofing contractors or residential construction sites.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
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 construction 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. Victims 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 have suffered injuries in a construction-related 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, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
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 and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been 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://pix11.com/news/local-news/queens/astoria-crane-collapse-july-2021/