Recently a woman made the news by escaping from a vehicle that had been flattened by a crane in the Bronx.
The boom truck collapsed into the street. These machines can weigh quite a bit; with the average crane weighing something like 67,527 lbs.
There are hundreds of construction accidents in New York City every year. Contrary to popular belief, workers aren’t the only ones who get injured in these accidents.
While the woman in this particular accident was unhurt, it is still important to realize the outcome could have been much worse. You need to know what to do if you are harmed by any heavy machinery in an accident.
The steps are similar to a car accident.
- Call 911 and secure medical attention.
- Get information from the crane operator, including contact information for their employer, contact information for the owner of the crane (they aren’t always the same), and any insurance information that’s available.
- Take photos of the accident site, the conditions around the accident site, your car and your own injuries (don’t photograph anyone else’s).
- Photograph any security cameras you notice in the area. This can assist us in getting the footage.
- Get medical attention and follow all doctor’s instructions.
- Get a copy of the police report.
- Call a New York construction accident lawyer as soon as you are medically capable of doing so.
If you are not conscious or capable of taking all these steps due to the extent of your injuries, don’t worry. As experienced construction lawyers, we can investigate the accident and reconstruct the facts. It will just be imperative for you to move fast. Large corporations are rather ruthless and sometimes evidence starts to mysteriously disappear if you wait too long. The statute of limitations is 2 years, but you don’t want to wait that long.
Either the crane owner or the operator’s employer will generally be responsible, or both. There are also cases where there are issues with the crane itself, and the manufacturer is responsible. Either way, if any party was negligent, they should be compensating you for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering. If the accident was serious enough to leave you permanently disabled, they should be compensating you for your loss of earning capacity, too.
If you’ve been injured, don’t wait. Contact us for a free consultation today.
