Florida Construction Injury Lawyer: Crane Accident Blocks Traffic on California Highway

Brandon Stein

By: Brandon Stein

If you or someone you know was injured in a crane accident at a construction site, contact our Hollywood personal injury lawyers today.

In a construction area, the most powerful piece of machinery utilized is the crane.  Florida construction lawyers have become accustomed to handling personal injury cases stemming from serious crane accidents.  At a construction site where the crane is utilized, only highly specialized and highly trained personnel are authorized to operate these multi-ton pieces of machinery.

As a North Miami Personal Injury Lawyer that sues construction companies for crane accidents, too many times I come across injuries in construction zones resulting from improper use of cranes on a job site.  While many crane accidents in South Florida occur during the course of construction, sometimes incidents arise during the transport of these cranes to and from the construction site.

This past Tuesday evening near Santa Barbara, California, the support system on a truck transporting a 2-ton crane broke — causing the crane to overturn on Highway 101.  The driver lost control of the truck and slammed into the guardrail on the highway.  Amazingly, during rush hour, no injuries or other car accidents resulting in personal injury were reported.

Instantly, emergency crews had responded to the scene attempting to clear and secure the area.  In fact, a second crane was needed to assist with the removal of the fallen crane.  It does not appear as though any negligence had occurred on the part of the construction company, as the cause of this crane accident is said to be structural failure.

For South Florida construction lawyers that help those injured in crane accidents, several state and federal regulations must be considered when litigating a construction site injury case.  When crane accidents occur in Florida construction areas, typically the construction workers are those who suffer injury.  As I have commented on in several articles in the past, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations must always be considered when a person is injured at or near a construction zone.

Florida Construction Injury Lawyer: Overturned Crane at Madisonville Construction Site

Brandon Stein

Arguably, the piece of construction equipment that requires the most experience and expertise is the crane. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other regulatory agencies set forth strict requirements for the operation of cranes in construction areas.  As a Hallandale personal injury lawyer that helps people injured in construction accidents, much of my practice is devoted to incidents involving cranes on construction sites.

Just yesterday, construction workers at a Madisonville, Kentucky, construction site nearly fell victim to a crane accident.  Construction had been ongoing at a local community college when a crane tipped over and could have trapped and crushed the workers on site.  According to reports, an apparent brake failure within the crane may have led to this accident on the construction site.

Moments before the construction accident, the crane had been stationed on a hill placing bricks when the brakes failed, sending the large crane rolling down the hill.  In fact, at the precise time when the accident occurred, the crane was positioned on the hill with no construction workers in the area — no one was even present to witness this crash.  Thankfully, no one was injured from this construction accident.

However, if a non-construction worker was injured from this crane rollover, then lawyers charged with helping those injured would have a field day litigating this case.  Being a South Florida construction injury lawyer, simply put, a multi-ton unattended crane was positioned on a hill with no supervision — that would be the case in a nutshell.  If an innocent bystander was injured as a result of this factual situation, then the construction company charged with the oversight of this construction area will have many questions that need to be answered.

For one, construction sites should never be unattended during work hours.  Yet, if the site has to be unattended for some reason, then the proper precautions must be taken in order to ensure the safety of those at or near the construction zone.  This especially holds true when a construction company is utilizing cranes and other high powered pieces of machinery.

If you or someone you know was injured, please contact our North Miami construction injury lawyers today.

By: Brandon Stein

Florida Construction Injury Lawyer: Crane Accident Kills Construction Worker – OSHA Citations Handed Down

Brandon Stein

A North Miami construction lawyer that helps injured construction workers must always be cognizant of the presence of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”).  When litigating a case against a construction company for injuries suffered at a construction site, OSHA can be used as a powerful tool in negotiating a settlement or winning at trial.  Now keep in mind that OSHA only pertains to the enforcement of workplace safety — so if a non-employee was injured on a job site, then most likely OSHA will not play a significant role.  But for employees injured or killed in the line of work, violations levied by OSHA are often a precursor to a lawsuit against the offending construction company or employer.

Just last week, a New York construction company was fined $68,000 for violations stemming from an April 2012 construction site accident involving a crane crashing and killing a 30 year old construction worker.  This crane accident instantly took the life of the 30 year old worker. The OSHA citations had been directly related to violations of safety standards related to job site security and crane safety.

An OSHA director explained that the actions committed by the construction company constituted a disregard for “fundamental, vital and required safety policies.”  Ultimately, had the proper procedures and protocols been followed, this crane accident would have never occurred and the 30 year old construction worker would still be alive today.

The department of labor and OSHA set forth specific standards and guidelines for companies, including construction companies, to follow in order to ensure the safety of its employees.  When it comes to crane use, safety requirements are strictly enforced by OSHA and are expected to be followed.  In fact, to use a crane on a construction site the designated employee must be highly skilled and qualified to perform such a task. Simply stated, a crane is one of the most, if not the most, dangerous instrumentality utilized on a construction site.

To name a couple, some key components that OSHA sets forth that construction companies must follow are to ensure that cranes are only operated by qualified and trained personnel.  Additionally, a designated person must inspect the crane prior to use and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions for use.  Failure to follow these, or any of the other requirements, could certainly result in an OSHA violation — which no construction company wants on its record.

As a South Florida construction lawyer, many of my injured clients have benefited in their case from OSHA citations levied against construction companies.  While the existence of an OSHA violation does not guarantee liability or negligence of construction companies, it certainly does not hurt an injured construction worker’s chance of receiving damages and compensation for his or her loss.

If you or someone you know was injured in an accident at or near a construction site, please contact us today.

By: Brandon Stein