Queens Crane Accident Attorney

Have you suffered an injury in a crane accident in Queens? You may have various options to recover compensation for your injuries and losses, depending on the circumstances of the construction accident. Hiring an experienced Queens crane accident lawyer from The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., can give you the legal advocacy and support you need to pursue financial recovery and justice for the harm you’ve suffered.

For over 40 years, our law firm has worked tirelessly to pursue successful outcomes for injured construction workers and others in Queens, throughout New York City, and beyond. We have recovered more than half a billion dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients. Our firm handles more construction accident cases in a year than many attorneys handle in their entire careers.

Let the crane accident lawyers at The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., advocate for your right to maximum compensation. Contact us for a free consultation to learn how a New York crane accident lawyer from our firm can help you pursue financial recovery for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other losses.

What Is a Crane Accident?

A crane accident is any incident in which a crane suffers damage, damages other property, or injures its operator or bystanders. A crane accident can cause extensive damage and severe injuries, as cranes frequently operate from heights and transport heavy loads.

Types of Queens Crane Accidents and Their Causes

Some of the most common examples of crane accidents include:

Boom collapses
Total crane collapses
Overturned cranes
Contact with power lines
Impacts with adjacent buildings or structures
Dropped materials and falling debris
Rigging failure
Worker falls

Crane accidents can occur due to negligent oversights by operators or the defective design or manufacture of crane components. Common causes of crane accidents in Queens include:

Unstable or unsecured loads
Inadequate maintenance
Improper assembly
Inadequate safety policies or failure to follow existing policies
Improper use
Exceeding the crane’s maximum capacity
Crane operator negligence or allowing uncertified or untrained operators
Lack of proper supervision
Failure to have or enforce exclusion zones around cranes

Potential warning signs that a crane could pose a safety threat on a Queens construction site include:

Outriggers, crawler tracks, or tires that are off the ground during operation
Crane operations that occur dangerously close to power lines or other hazards
Workers suspended from crane loads or crane hooks without personnel baskets
Crane operations that occur despite visual structural damage to the crane
Hazardous modifications to cranes, such as ad-hoc counterweights
Crane operations that occur near trenches or excavation work
Cranes that are noticeably out-of-level or have non-vertical hoist lines during operation

What Types of Injuries Can Result from Crane Accidents in Queens?

Different types of crane accidents can lead to various injuries for operators or bystanders. Examples of injuries that can occur in a crane accident include:

Severe lacerations
Dislocated joints
Ligament sprains and tears
Muscle or tendon strains and tears
Broken bones
Perforation injuries
Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
Herniated spinal disc injuries
Nerve damage
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Crush injuries
Traumatic amputations or limb losses

Who Is Liable for Damages After a Crane Accident in Queens?

Various parties may bear liability for a crane accident, depending on the causes or circumstances. Some of the parties you might hold liable for your financial and personal losses after a crane accident include:

Construction companies
Property owners
Management companies
Crane operators
Crane manufacturers
Crane maintenance workers
Construction project managers
Architects and engineers
Others operating near a crane

Filing Injury Claims for Construction Accidents Involving Cranes

People who suffer injuries in crane accidents on Queens construction sites may have several legal options for pursuing compensation. First, a construction worker injured in a crane accident can file a workers’ compensation claim with their employer to recover benefits under New York’s workers’ compensation law. Workers’ compensation benefits may include:

Medical benefits that cover the cost of reasonable and necessary medical treatment and rehabilitation
Lost wage benefits that provide partial reimbursement for workers who miss time from their job or experience a reduction in their earnings
Death benefits that provide payments to surviving dependents of workers who pass away due to work-related injuries

Injured workers must notify their employers of work-related injuries within 30 days of when the crane accident occurred. Workers also have two years after an on-the-job crane accident to file an employee claim form with the New York Workers’ Compensation Board.

Construction workers injured in a crane accident may use violations of New York’s Labor Law to pursue compensation in a personal injury claim. For example, Section 200 of the Labor Law imposes a general duty upon employers to protect the health and safety of their employees, while Section 241(6) requires construction companies to provide reasonable and adequate safety measures for workers and bystanders or passersby. If a contractor, property owner, or other negligent third party violated these or other laws, injured construction workers may be able to pursue compensation beyond what is available from workers’ compensation.

Bystanders injured in crane accidents on construction sites may also have a personal injury case against the crane operator or contractor responsible for the accident. New York’s statute of limitations on injury claims requires an injured person to file a lawsuit within three years of a crane accident. A personal injury claim can provide an injured crane accident victim with compensation for financial and personal losses such as:

Medical expenses, including emergency medical care, hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitation, doctor’s appointments, prescriptions, purchases of medical and orthopedic equipment, and physical and occupational therapy
Costs of long-term care and replacement services after suffering prolonged or permanent disabilities that interfere with daily activities
Lost income after taking time off work to recover from injuries
Lost earning capacity after injuries or disabilities require an injured person to transfer to a part-time or light-duty role or to leave their job
Physical pain and anguish
Emotional trauma and distress, including reduced quality of life caused by disabilities or visible scarring or disfigurement

Contact the Queens Crane Accident Attorneys at The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C.

If you’re recovering from a construction site accident involving cranes in Queens, get the dedicated legal representation you need to aggressively pursue maximum compensation for your injuries and losses through a crane accident case. Contact The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our construction accident attorneys to discuss your legal options.