Crane Accident Lawyer

Crane accidents represent some of the most catastrophic incidents on construction sites, often resulting in severe injuries, permanent disabilities, and fatalities when these massive machines fail. At RK&L in Buffalo, NY, our crane accident lawyers understand the dangers presented by all types of cranes used throughout Western New York construction sites and have substantial experience fighting for compensation for victims of these complex incidents. If you or a loved one has been injured in a crane-related accident, contact our legal team to discuss your case and explore your options for recovery. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your legal options and take the first step toward recovery and justice.

Financial Compensation You May Be Entitled To After a Crane Accident Injury

As a crane accident victim, you may be entitled to various forms of financial recovery that go beyond basic workers' compensation benefits, and your crane accident lawyer at RK&L will aggressively pursue all available damages on your behalf.

• Medical Expenses: Compensation for all hospital bills, surgeries, medications, doctor visits, and ongoing treatments related to your crane accident injuries.
• Lost Income: Recovery for wages lost during your recovery period as well as diminished earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous occupation.
• Rehabilitation Costs: Funds to cover physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other specialized rehabilitative services needed to maximize your recovery.
• Pain and Suffering: Monetary damages for the physical pain and discomfort experienced due to your injuries, both immediate and ongoing.
• Emotional Distress: Compensation for psychological impacts including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and sleep disturbances resulting from the crane accident.
• Home Modifications: Coverage for necessary changes to your residence to accommodate mobility limitations or other disability-related needs.
• Assistive Devices: Funds for wheelchairs, prosthetics, and other medical equipment required as a result of your injuries.
• Loss of Consortium: Damages awarded to your spouse for loss of companionship, affection, and support due to your injuries.
• Wrongful Death Benefits: Compensation for funeral expenses, lost financial support, and loss of parental guidance when crane accidents result in fatalities.
• Punitive Damages: Additional compensation sometimes awarded in cases involving particularly reckless or egregious misconduct.

Our crane accident lawyer team works diligently with medical professionals and economic experts to accurately value your claim, ensuring the compensation you receive truly reflects both current and future needs resulting from your injuries.

How a Buffalo Crane Accident Lawyer Can Maximize Your Compensation

A crane accident lawyer from RK&L employs strategic approaches to ensure you receive the maximum possible compensation for your injuries rather than settling for initial insurance offers that rarely reflect the true value of construction workers claim.

• Thorough Investigation: Our crane accident lawyer team conducts comprehensive investigations of crane accident scenes, preserving critical evidence, interviewing witnesses, and documenting safety violations before evidence disappears.
• Expert Consultation: Our crane accident lawyer collaborates with construction safety professionals, medical specialists, and economic analysts who provide authoritative testimony about liability, injury severity, and financial impacts.
• Multiple Liability Sources: Your crane accident lawyer identifies all potentially responsible parties beyond just the employer, pursuing third-party claims against equipment manufacturers, subcontractors, and property owners.
• Detailed Documentation: Our personal injury lawyers meticulously compile medical records, employment history, and financial data to create an irrefutable record of your damages and projected future losses.
• Strategic Negotiation: Our crane accident lawyer team employs proven negotiation strategies based on thorough case preparation and years of experience with construction injury claims.
• Litigation Readiness: Insurance companies offer better settlements when they know your legal team is fully prepared to take your case to trial with compelling evidence and expert witnesses.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Our crane accident attorneys leverage our deep understanding of OSHA regulations and New York Labor Laws to establish clear liability and strengthen your compensation claim.
• Timing Optimization: Your crane accident lawyer will file claims at strategic times, accounting for both statute of limitations requirements and maximizing claim value as your medical condition stabilizes.
• Full Damage Calculation: Unlike insurance adjusters who minimize your losses, we ensure all current and future damages are properly valued, including non-economic impacts on your quality of life.
• Settlement Evaluation: Our crane accident lawyer will provide clear guidance on whether settlement offers are fair based on similar case outcomes and the specific circumstances of your crane accident.

At RK&L, our construction accident lawyer team has recovered millions for injured workers throughout Buffalo and Western New York, consistently achieving results that enable our clients to secure their financial future despite catastrophic injuries.

Common Injuries Associated with Crane Accidents

Crane accidents often result in catastrophic injuries that require extensive medical treatment and can permanently impact a victim's ability to work and enjoy life, making representation by a skilled crane accident lawyer essential for securing adequate compensation.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries: Falling objects or direct impacts can cause concussions, hemorrhaging, and permanent cognitive impairment that may require lifelong care and rehabilitation.
• Spinal Cord Damage: Compression, severing, or traumatic impact to the spine can result in partial or complete paralysis, with devastating effects on mobility and independence.
• Crush Injuries: The immense weight of crane components or dropped loads can crush limbs, leading to amputations, permanent disfigurement, and prosthetic requirements.
• Multiple Fractures: High-impact trauma commonly causes complex bone fractures requiring surgical intervention, metal implants, and extensive physical therapy.
• Internal Organ Damage: Blunt force trauma from crane accidents can rupture or damage vital organs, often requiring emergency surgery and resulting in lasting health complications.
• Severe Lacerations: Contact with crane cables, sharp metal components, or construction materials can cause deep cuts leading to significant blood loss, nerve damage, and permanent scarring.
• Electrocution Injuries: When cranes contact power lines, workers may suffer severe burns, cardiac damage, nerve destruction, and sometimes fatal electrical injuries.
• Psychological Trauma: Survivors of catastrophic crane accidents frequently develop PTSD, anxiety disorders, and depression that require professional mental health treatment.
• Wrongful Death: The most tragic outcome of crane accidents occurs when workers or bystanders suffer fatal injuries, leaving families devastated and facing financial hardship.

Common Causes of Crane Accidents on Construction Sites

Our crane accident lawyer team frequently investigates incidents resulting from preventable errors, regulatory violations, and negligence that create dangerous conditions for workers and bystanders alike.

• Improper Setup or Assembly: Cranes that are incorrectly assembled or positioned on unstable ground can collapse or tip over, causing catastrophic accidents that affect multiple workers.
• Operator Error: Inadequate training, fatigue, or distraction can lead crane operators to make critical mistakes during lifting operations, resulting in dropped loads or collisions.
• Mechanical Failure: Defective components, poor maintenance, or worn cables and brakes can cause catastrophic equipment malfunctions that turn cranes into deadly hazards.
• Overloading: Exceeding a crane's rated load capacity places excessive stress on the machine's structural components and can lead to sudden failure, tipping, or collapsed booms.
• Power Line Contact: Cranes that come into contact with overhead electrical lines can cause electrocution, severe burns, and fatal injuries to operators and nearby workers.
• Inadequate Inspections: Failure to regularly inspect and test crane components often allows dangerous wear and defects to go unnoticed until a catastrophic failure occurs.
• Communication Breakdowns: Poor coordination between crane operators, signal persons, and ground crews can result in dangerous miscommunications and unexpected load movements.
• Adverse Weather Conditions: High winds, lightning, poor visibility, and other weather factors can create hazardous operating conditions that significantly increase accident risks.
• Improper Load Securing: Inadequately secured loads can shift, come loose, or fall during lifting operations, creating deadly hazards for workers below.
• Inadequate Safety Protocols: Missing guardrails, insufficient clearance zones, and other safety shortcuts create dangerous environments that increase accident likelihood.

As your construction accident lawyer, we thoroughly investigate all potential causes of crane accidents to identify every liable party and build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.

Who is Liable for Your Crane Accident Injuries?

A skilled crane accident lawyer must identify all potentially responsible parties in these complex cases, as multiple entities often share responsibility for ensuring crane safety on construction sites.

• Construction Site Owners: Property owners may be held liable under New York's Labor Law Section 240 (the "Scaffold Law") which imposes absolute liability for gravity-related accidents regardless of worker negligence.
• General Contractors: The primary contractor overseeing a construction project has significant safety responsibilities and may be liable for failing to provide proper oversight, equipment, or training related to crane operations.
• Subcontractors: Companies hired for specific tasks like crane operation may be legally responsible if their employees' negligence contributes to an accident through improper setup or operation.
• Crane Rental Companies: Businesses that rent or lease cranes have a duty to provide properly maintained equipment and may be liable if mechanical failures from poor maintenance cause accidents.
• Equipment Manufacturers: Companies that design and produce cranes or their components face liability when defective parts contribute to accidents, enabling product liability claims separate from workers' compensation.
• Engineering Firms: Engineers responsible for lift plans, load calculations, or site assessments may be liable if errors in their work create dangerous conditions leading to crane failures.
• Crane Operators: Individual operators can be held responsible for accidents resulting from negligence, particularly if they lack proper certification or violate safety protocols.
• Maintenance Providers: Third-party companies contracted to inspect and maintain cranes may be liable if their negligence in performing these duties contributes to mechanical failures.
• Safety Consultants: Firms hired to ensure OSHA compliance and site safety may share liability if they fail to identify and correct hazardous conditions involving crane operations.
• Government Entities: In some cases, municipal departments that issue permits or conduct inspections may bear partial responsibility if they negligently approve unsafe crane installations.

Get Experienced Legal Representation for Your Crane Accident Case

If you or a loved one has been injured in a crane accident, don't face this challenge alone. RK&L's dedicated crane accident lawyer team in Buffalo stands ready to investigate your case, identify all liable parties, and fight aggressively for the maximum compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation to discuss your legal options and take the first step toward recovery and justice.

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Crane Accident Lawyer FAQs

How long do I have to file a crane accident claim in New York?

In New York, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally three years from the date of the accident. However, if your case involves a government entity, you may have as little as 90 days to file a notice of claim. Workers' compensation claims must typically be filed within two years, but it's best to report your injury immediately. Our crane accident lawyers recommend contacting us as soon as possible after an injury to ensure all deadlines are met.

What makes crane accident cases different from other construction accidents?

Crane accidents often involve multiple potentially liable parties, complex technical issues regarding equipment operation and maintenance, and specialized regulations specific to crane operation. These cases typically require investigation by professionals with knowledge of construction practices, engineering principles, and OSHA crane safety standards. A crane accident lawyer with specific experience in these cases can identify liability issues that general practice attorneys might miss.

Can I still recover compensation if I was partially at fault for the crane accident?

Yes. New York follows comparative negligence rules, which means you can still recover damages even if you were partially responsible for the accident. Your compensation would be reduced by your percentage of fault. Additionally, for certain gravity-related accidents covered under New York Labor Law 240, workers may be entitled to compensation regardless of their contribution to the accident.

What if the crane accident occurred while I was working for a subcontractor?

Working for a subcontractor often opens additional avenues for compensation beyond workers' compensation. While you generally cannot sue your direct employer, you may have claims against the general contractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or other third parties. Our construction accident lawyer team will identify all potential claims to maximize your recovery.

Will I have to testify in court for my crane accident case?

While many crane accident cases settle before trial, some do proceed to litigation. If your case goes to court, you may need to testify about the accident and your injuries. Our crane accident lawyers thoroughly prepare clients for any testimony, explaining the process and helping you feel comfortable. We handle all legal proceedings and court appearances, minimizing your stress during recovery.

How do you determine the value of my crane accident claim?

We evaluate numerous factors including the severity of your injuries, your medical prognosis, lost earning capacity, ongoing care needs, pain and suffering, and the impact on your quality of life. Our crane accident lawyers work with medical professionals, economists, and life care planners to accurately project your lifetime needs and ensure your settlement reflects the true value of your case.

What if my loved one died in a crane accident?

In cases of fatal crane accidents, surviving family members may file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for funeral expenses, lost financial support, lost parental guidance, and conscious pain and suffering experienced by the victim before death. Our compassionate legal team guides families through this difficult process while working to secure the financial support they need.

How are crane accident lawyer fees structured?

Our crane accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront costs or hourly fees. We only collect a fee if we secure compensation for you through settlement or verdict. This arrangement ensures our interests are aligned with yours and makes quality legal representation accessible regardless of your financial situation.