Crane Accidents

White Plains Crane Accident Lawyer

Cranes are enormous pieces of equipment that weigh thousands of tons and are used routinely to lift and move heavy loads at construction sites. Because construction workers operate them at tremendous heights, injuries sustained in crane accidents may be catastrophic or even fatal. New York has enacted special laws under the New York State Labor Law sections 200, 240 and 241, as well as the Industrial Code, to protect construction workers who are injured at the jobsite. If you need a White Plains Crane Accident Lawyer, you should call Mark A. Siesel. He has more than thirty five years of experience helping injured construction workers.

Crane Accidents

Construction workers face significant risks from falls, falling loads, or crane collapses. Sometimes construction workers are limited to Workers’ Compensation benefits after sustaining work injuries when the only responsible party is his or her employer. But in a significant percentage of cases, there is an owner, general contractor, construction manager, or other contractors that can be held legally responsible for failing to provide the necessary safety equipment. New York courts apply special laws that permit workers to recover damages in the event of certain construction accidents. These special laws are contained within New York State Labor Law sections 200, 240, and 241, as well as an administrative code known as the Industrial Code. White Plains Crane Accident Lawyer Mark A. Siesel, Esq. has been successfully representing representing injured construction workers in the State and Federal Courts of New York since 1986.

Violations of Labor Law Section 200

Under Section 200, owners, general contractors, construction managers and other sub-contractors must provide a reasonably safe job environment for their workers. In a codification of the common law negligence standard used in many personal injury cases, a construction site should be conducted, operated, arranged, equipped, and constructed to provide adequate, reasonable protection to workers along with lawful visitors to the site. Accordingly, cranes must be lighted, guarded, operated, and placed to give adequate, reasonable protection. If you were hurt in a crane accident caused by an owner, general contractor, construction manager or contractor’s failure to conduct crane operations in a way that provides adequate, reasonable protection, you may have a claim under section 200 and should contact a Crane Accident Lawyer in White Plains.

Labor Law Section 240 Violations

Labor Law Section 240, also called the Scaffold Law, is designed to provide protection from gravity-related accidents at a New York construction site. General contractors, construction managers and owners need to take specific precautions and provide workers with proper fall protection equipment. If you were injured because you fell from a crane, a crane dropped something on you, or you were injured in a crane collapse, Labor Law 240 should provide a basis to sue. An owner or contractor can’t defend against your claim by proving its past favorable safety record or showing your comparative negligence. “Comparative negligence” is a legal principle under which an accident victim in other situations (for example, in a car accident or trip and fall on a sidewalk) may have their damages award reduced if they were partly at fault for causing the accident. Under Labor Law Section 240, comparative negligence by a worker not considered if the violation of the statute was the substantial cause of the accident. You would be prevented from recovery, however, if you were 100% responsible for your own injuries from the crane accident.

Crane Accidents Caused by Violation of Labor Law 241(6)

To make a Labor Law section 241(6) claim, you will need to establish a violation of a particular provision of part 23 of the New York State Industrial Code. The purpose of section 241(6) is to encourage safety, by mandating that owners and general contractors comply with Rule 23, which includes numerous specific safety provisions for a wide range of construction activities. For instance, under section 23–8.2, a mobile crane that is moved from one construction site to another without being dismantled need not be inspected before being operated or erected on the jobsite, but only so long as scheduled monthly inspections occur. Additionally, every mobile crane is supposed to have a firm footing, which may need to be provided by cribbing, substantial timbers, or other structural members. Before hoisting a load on a crane, the person directing the crane to lift the load should make sure the crane is level and blocked. The crane must be test operated to its maximum height before a load is hoisted. If you suffered a traumatic brain injury, or other injuries after the crane collapsed while hoisting a load without first performing a test operation, you should have a claim under Labor Law section 241(6).

Consult an Experienced White Plains Crane Attorney

If you were injured while working with cranes at a construction site, you should discuss your case with Crane Accident Lawyer in White Plains Mark A. Siesel. You may have a claim for damages under New York State Labor Law Sections 200, 240 or 241(6). The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel represents construction workers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, New York County, as well as in Westchester, Putnam, Kings, Orange, Dutchess, Sullivan, Rockland, and Ulster Counties. Contact us at (914) 428-7386 or complete our online form.