You may have a workers’ compensation claim, personal injury claim, crane equipment defect claim or a wrongful death claim if you or a loved one was injured or killed in a California crane accident.
A California Crane accident lawyer can review the circumstances and facts of the accident to determine liability for the accident, what type(s) of claims should be filed, and what types of damages may be available to the accident victim. The victim’s family members may be able to recover damages, depending on the facts of the accident. Our California crane accident attorneys will provide a free case evaluation to advise you of your legal rights and legal options.
Our lawyers do not charge a fee for our services, unless or until a recovery is made. Use the live chat feature on this page to start your free crane injury case review.
Table of Contents
- Common Causes of Crane Accidents
- Common Crane Accident Types
- Crane Accident Statistics
- Workers’ Compensation vs. Personal Injury Lawsuit: Which One Applies?
- Who is Liable for a Crane Accident in California?
- Fatal Crane Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
- Who Investigates Crane Accidents?
- What Is My California Crane Accident Lawsuit Worth?
- Who Can File Crane Accident Lawsuits?
- How a Crane Injury Lawyer Can Help
- Contact a Crane Accident Attorney at Our Law Firm Today
Common Causes of Crane Accidents
Common causes of crane accidents include:
Improper Setup
Faulty setups, such as inadequate counterweights or bracing, may lead to a crane tower collapse. Cranes can overturn or fall when not properly secured during, before or after operation.
Overloading Cranes
Cranes can become unstable when loaded with excessive weight. Overloading cranes can cause booms to buckle or cranes to tip over, leading to injured workers.
Neglecting Safety
Not following safety protocols, like using wrong cranes for specific jobs or ignoring a manufacturer’s specifications, can cause tower crane accidents.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors at job sites such as soil conditions and wind can lead to crane accidents, especially when a crane’s rated capacity is exceeded.
Mechanical Failure
Regular inspections and maintenance are crucial. Mechanical failures may still happen, though, leading to things like crane collapse accidents.
Contact With Power Lines
Contacting power lines while in the process of crane operation may lead to fatal electrocution. This is the most common reason for crane-related fatalities, accounting for about 45 percent of crane accidents. It is typically the crane or boom which contacts the power lines. All crane operators and workers should monitor the locations of power lines.
Crane Operator Error
Accidents can happen when crane operators make mistakes like not following safety regulations.
Common Crane Accident Types
Common types of crane accidents include:
Boom Collapse or Failure
When booms are overextended, they can fail under heavy loads. Booms may collapse when extreme weight increases pressure on crane components like structural, mechanical and hydraulic components.
Crane Overturn
Cranes can tip over when they are positioned on uneven ground or overloaded beyond their capacity, leading to serious injuries or death. Workers should follow weight guidelines and inspect ground before working with cranes.
Crane Collapse
Crane collapses typically involve smaller equipment, like mobile cranes’ trucks, failing. Crane collapses are virtually always due to negligence.
Dropped Loads
When loads are unbalanced, improperly secured or too heavy, they can lead to crane accidents. Accidents like these can be avoided when proper safety protocols get enforced and workers get properly trained regarding the handling of heavy equipment.
Falling From Cranes
This occurs when workers fall from cranes’ cab levels to lower levels. This can occur when fall protection systems aren’t implemented. Fall arrest systems, involving harnesses and lanyards, can prevent these accidents.
Crane Accident Statistics
- 297 crane-related deaths from 2011 to 2017 were reported by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Over half of fatal crane injuries involved workers being struck by equipment or objects; 91 of 154 of these cases involved workers being struck by falling equipment or objects.
- Workers were operating cranes when fatal injuries occurred in 22 percent of accidents.
- California had 14 fatal crane injuries from 2011 to 2017.
- A study found that 133 deaths and 133 injuries occurred in 249 crane accidents; 838 OSHA violations occurred and $2.3 million worth of OSHA fines was levied.
- Crane accident injuries average $200,000 in costs, and crane accident deaths average $4 million in costs.
- Studies have found that injury victims recover more money for their injuries when they hire lawyers than when they don’t, even after attorney fees are considered. At Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, we handle cases such as construction accidents and forklift accidents.
Workers’ Compensation vs. Personal Injury Lawsuit: Which One Applies?
Injured workers will usually file workers’ compensation claims after a crane accident. These are available whether the workers were at fault or not. Workers can receive medical and disability coverage.
However, personal injury lawsuits may be necessary when third parties cause accidents. This can involve circumstances such as:
- Negligent site visitors or subcontractors
- Crane operators from different companies
Product liability claims may be in play when:
- Cranes or parts fail due to poor design or manufacturing defects
- Warning labels or safety features are missing
In some cases, workers’ compensation claims and third-party lawsuits may both be pursued.
If you are unsure if your case should be pursued as a workers’ compensation, personal injury or a crane defect claim, use the live chat feature on this page to start your free consultation. Our clients often have more than one type of claim. Call us now at (800) 718-4658 to discuss your potential claim with one of our California Crane accident lawyers. The consultation is free. There is no obligation to hire us. There is no upfront cost for our services. Contact us now to get started.
We have 17 California offices to serve you. We will come to you.
Who is Liable for a Crane Accident in California?
When construction workers are injured in a crane accident in California, many parties involved can be held liable, including:
Crane Owners
Crane owners could get held liable if they negligently operated or maintained a crane. Liability may also arise if they failed to conduct required inspections or ignored known issues with the crane. In many cases, they are responsible for ensuring compliance with OSHA safety standards, even if the crane is leased to another company.
Crane Operators
Crane operators could get held liable if they negligently operated a crane. Examples of operator negligence include not following safety protocols, improperly using controls, or operating equipment while fatigued or under the influence. If an operator lacks proper certification, that can also support a claim of negligence.
Construction Site Owners
Construction site owners could be held liable if they failed to maintain a reasonably safe job site. This includes ensuring proper ground stability, hazard signage, and coordination between subcontractors.
Even if day-to-day operations are delegated, owners still have a duty to prevent foreseeable hazards.
General Contractors
General contractors could get held liable if they negligently oversaw a construction project. They are also often responsible for vetting subcontractors and ensuring compliance with industry safety standards.
Subcontractors
Subcontractors could get held liable if their work ended up contributing to a construction accident. For example, if a subcontractor overloaded a crane or ignored load-bearing limits during their operations, they could be named in a lawsuit. They are expected to follow safety rules and communicate risks on the job site.
Crane Manufacturers
Crane manufacturers could get held liable for construction accident victims’ injuries if a crane was improperly designed or defective. This includes failures in structural components, hydraulic systems, or safety mechanisms.
Fatal Crane Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
You may qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit if your loved one died in a crane accident. This would be a lawsuit against any and all parties responsible for the accident.
This legal recourse may allow you to recover financial compensation for:
- Burial and funeral costs
- The medical bills your loved one incurred prior to passing
- The pain and suffering your loved one went through prior to passing
- The loss of your loved one’s income, spousal benefits, household services, companionship and love
Who Investigates Crane Accidents?
Numerous parties investigate crane accidents. Some do public sector investigations and some do private sector investigations.
Public Sector Investigations
- OSHA: OSHA is part of the Department of Labor, and a federal agency. It investigates crane accidents since they involve work-related machines. They do enforcement inspections and might issue penalties and citations.
- State OSHA plans: A lot of states have their own OSHA programs which investigate crane accidents.
Private Sector Investigations
- Crane accident investigation firms: A lot of firms do crane accident investigations. They often work for plaintiff or defense law firms.
- Forensic engineers: These are experts who specialize in root cause analysis and accident reconstruction.
- Rigging experts: These are pros who are experts in crane operations and rigging. They can analyze crane accident cases, providing insights.
- Expert witnesses: People with extensive experience in crane safety and operation get hired as expert witnesses when litigation occurs.
Examples of How Crane Accidents Are Investigated
- OSHA enforcement inspections: OSHA investigates accidents resulting in crane-related injuries, fatalities, or property damage.
- Crane accident reconstruction: Private investigators often end up reconstructing events leading up to accidents. They consider factors such as environmental conditions, equipment malfunction and crane operator error.
- Legal cases: In worker’s compensation, personal injury, crane defect or wrongful death lawsuits, expert investigators could get hired to analyze accidents and provide evidence supporting claims and helping to determine liability.
Key Considerations For Filing A California Crane Accident Lawsuit
- Root cause analysis: Investigators seek to identify accidents’ root causes. These might involve equipment failure or human error.
- Documentation: Investigations often involve the review of documents like safety procedures, maintenance records and crane inspection reports.
- Expert testimony: Experts could get called on to provide expert testimony during legal proceedings. They will explain their conclusions and findings.
What Is My California Crane Accident Lawsuit Worth?
A crane accident lawsuit may be worth anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to millions of dollars, depending upon injury severity.
The value of your crane accident lawsuit will depend upon the specific damages you suffered. Damages which our law firm can help you recover monetary compensation for include:
Medical Bills
This includes all past and future medical costs related to your crane accident injuries. We can help you recover money to compensate you for the medical expenses you already owe and for the cost of any treatment you can be expected to need in the future.
Lost Wages
Crane accident victims may be left hurt too badly to work or needing to take time off from work to get injuries treated. We can help you recover any wages you’re unable to earn due to a crane accident.
Loss of Earning Capacity
We help crane accident victims recover compensation for loss or reduction of earning capacity stemming from permanent disability.
Pain and Suffering
The injuries suffered in a crane accident may lead to physical pain, mental suffering and emotional distress, all of which we may be able to help you recover compensation for.
Wrongful Death
While financial compensation can’t bring back your loved one after a crane accident, it can help your family avoid having to go through financial hardship after the loss of your loved one.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages won’t be available after every crane accident. However, if a crane accident occurred due to reckless, intentional or grossly negligent conduct, we can seek punitive damages on your behalf to maximize your recovery and punish any wrongdoers.
Who Can File Crane Accident Lawsuits?
Numerous parties may be able to file crane accident lawsuits, including:
Injured Workers
If a worker is injured in a crane accident while working, they could be eligible to file an injury lawsuit, particularly if their accident was the result of a third party or negligence.
Bystanders
Bystanders injured in crane accidents, like in collapses, may also file personal injury lawsuits.
Family Members
In cases of crane-related deaths, decedents’ family members can file wrongful death lawsuits against liable parties.
How a Crane Injury Lawyer Can Help
Our crane injury lawyers can help you after a crane accident by:
- Performing a thorough investigation into the cause of your accident
- Helping you file a workers’ compensation claim
- Determining if you are eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit or a product liability lawsuit
- Going after negligent contractors
- Pursuing damages beyond a workers’ compensation claim
- Handling negotiations with insurers
- Representing you in court or administrative proceedings
Free Consultation with a California Crane Accident Lawyer
Our legal teams have been handling cases involving heavy equipment accidents since 1990, including work-related and construction site accidents. We can help you file a workers’ compensation claim if you were working at the time of your accident. If your injuries were fully or partially caused by a third-party, or negligence like failing to follow safety procedures, we can file a personal injury or product defect lawsuit seeking compensation beyond the compensation that a workers’ comp claim provides.
We also file wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of the surviving family members of those who were killed in a crane accident.
Contact us now for your free consultation by calling (800) 718-4658 or using the live chat feature on this page.
We have 17 California locations to serve you. We can also meet with you in-person. We will come to you.
