Without cranes on a building site, the erection of New York City’s famous skyscrapers would not be possible. However, lately, cranes seem to be the cause of several accidents around the city, sending seriously injured workers to local hospitals and even causing the deaths of those unlucky enough to get trapped beneath falling parts. Now, another construction accident concerning a crane has occurred, making it appear that 2013 may see a repeat of the accidents that plagued the city in 2012.
The Department of Buildings is investigating a crane accident that occurred in Long Island City, Queens. The accident took place when construction workers heard an ominous cracking sound and realized that the crane’s boom had broken. The workers were in the process of building a complex for apartments and condos and were using the crane to move wood.
One worker tried to get out of the falling crane’s path but was not fast enough. The accident left three people seriously injured and four more workers with less serious injuries. It is not known what those injuries are but a falling crane could easily leave victims with neck injuries and back injuries. These victims are likely facing weeks of rehabilitation and thousands of dollars in medical costs.
If the buildings department finds that the owner of the crane is responsible for the construction accident, then the victims may want to consider holding that owner accountable. They can ask a judge or jury to award them a monetary amount to help pay for the hospital bills, lost wages and reduced income if they are unable to come back to work in the construction industry.
Source: myfoxny.com, “Crane collapse in Long Island City,” Jan. 9, 2013