Crane accidents are not just a phenomenon in New York City. Although the rate of construction in New York is hard to equal, any construction site where a crane or lift is being used could experience injury or death because of a crane accident.
Some recent crane accidents outside of New York City have included:
- A fatal crane accident possibly caused by snapped wires, leaving two construction workers dead and at least three injured in Singapore
- A crane that collapsed onto its flatbed mounting, killing one worker in Indianapolis
- The electrocution of a worker after the crane came into contact with power lines in East Vancouver, British Columbia
- A falling crane boom that was being disassembled from a truck bed, injuring a worker at the University of North Dakota
- A crane operator who was killed while working on a ball park in St. Paul, Minnesota
Closer to home, a high-profile crane accident did not injure or kill anyone. However, the potential for disaster was very real. A 13,000 concrete cube was suspended 40 floors above the street when a crane froze after losing power because of generator failure. Construction workers were forced to lower the heavy load manually under windy and rainy conditions.
The incident occurred on a construction site near Carnegie Hall – the same site where a crane boom collapsed and dangled above the street during Hurricane Sandy last year. Even though no one was injured or killed, such accidents are a source of concern for city officials, especially after a fatal crane accident last April at the construction site of the Second Avenue subway.
People who were injured or who lost a loved one because of a crane accident should consider speaking with an attorney about their legal rights and options.
Source: CBS News, “Stuck crane dangles 13,000-pound load above busy NYC street,” Oct. 7, 2013.