Personal Injury Law Update

Oregon's OSHA Division to Increase Crane Inspections

In the wake of multiple deadly crane accidents across the country this year, Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Division recently announced that, starting in September 2008, it will increase inspection of tower cranes at construction sites across Oregon (the inspections will not focus on mobile cranes).

Inspectors will assess, among other things:

• crane operator qualifications
• crane maintenance (manufacturer guidelines) and inspection records
• training records

Federal Government to Institute Nationwide Certification Test for Crane Operators

In the wake of several deadly crane accidents nationwide, the Department of Labor has announced that it will soon require crane operators nationwide to pass a certification test (the first update of crane regulations in nearly four decades). Presently, only 15 states require a test; under the new rule, tests will be required in all 50 states.

According to Edwin Foulke, the assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the new proposed rule "comprehensively addresses the hazards associated with the uses of cranes and derricks in construction, including tower cranes."

OSHA recently issued citations to three contractors with proposed penalties totaling $313,500 for alleged violations of safety standards after investigating the catastrophic March 15, 2008 collapse of a tower crane in New York City that killed seven people.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Fatal Crane Collapse

Another unfortunate crane accident. The family of an Illinois man killed in a crane accident has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the contractors responsible for coordinating and inspecting work at the construction site where the accident occurred. The man was in the basket of an aerial lift when the crane's boom collapsed onto the basket.

The judge hearing the case issued orders providing the family’s counsel access to the work area and equipment involved in the accident, and prohibiting removal of the crane from the site and barring OSHA from altering, repairing or performing destructive testing of the crane and a 4-foot boom cable.

New York City Buildings Department to Propose New Crane Safety Rules

After two tragic crane accidents in New York City (see prior posts here and here), the New York City Buildings Department recently announced it will propose a series of new crane safety regulations within the next few weeks.

The department is studying various models of crane regulation and conferring with safety experts including those at the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration to develop the proposals.

California is widely believed to have the toughest crane regulations in the country, including a requirement that all tower cranes undergo an annual complete mechanic inspection by an independent firm.

Construction site accidents and injuries sustained on the job injure or kill thousands of Americans every year.  Many terrible personal injuries are caused by poor safety procedures, negligence, faulty equipment, poor supervision – and most could have been prevented.  Often times injury or death occur because a negligent company is more interested in profit than safety.

If you or a loved one has been injured at a construction site in Oregon or Washington by a crane collapse or other negligent act, contact the Oregon and Washington construction accident lawyers at D'Amore & Associates for a free consultation.

Another New York City Crane Collapse

Sadly, there was recently another crane collapse in New York City. The crane smashed into a 23-story apartment building before falling to the street below killing the crane operator trapped in the cab and another construction worker. A key question investigators will undoubtedly focus on will be how this could have happened after the stringent tightening of regulations following an earlier crane collapse on March 16th that killed seven (we previously reported on the March 16th collapse).

As New York City struggles to deal with the recent crane accidents, this past Friday, authorities announced the arrest of New York City's chief crane inspector, charging him with taking bribes to allow cranes to pass inspection, and to ensure that one crane company's employees would pass the required licensing exam. However, officials said the charges were unrelated to last Friday's or the March 16th accident. See further details on the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog.

Crane Collapse in Miami Kills 2, Injures 7

In another tragic construction accident yesterday, two construction workers were killed and five people were injured after a crane fell 30 floors from a high-rise condominium under construction in Miami and smashed into a nearby home. With the recent devastating crane collapse in New York City, the safety of cranes has taken center stage.

Here's a link to a page hosted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) discussing crane safety issues.

City Inspector Arrested in Connection With New York City Crane Collapse That Killed 7 and Injured 17

A little over a week ago, on March 15, a giant crane at least 15 stories tall collapsed at a construction site in New York City and destroyed a neighboring townhouse. The collapse killed seven people and injured at least 17 others.

According to New York City's building department records, on March 4, a caller told city officials that the upper part of the crane appeared to lack the proper number of ties to the building. On March 6, a city inspector allegedly visited the site and determined there was no violation. However, it's been recently reported that the inspector lied and had never inspected the crane. The inspector was arrested and charged with falsifying business records, which is a felony in New York.

With a building boom still ongoing in New York City, residents have long complained about unsafe construction sites. One resident living near a building site suggested that concerned individuals take videos of the sites and post them on YouTube.

The Oregon and Washington construction accident lawyers at D'Amore & Associates have handled numerous cases involving injuries or deaths at contruction sites. Cranes and other machines used at construction sites can be particularly dangerous.  One client of D’Amore & Associates died as a result of being crushed between a wall and a large machine when the machine swiveled and caught the worker in a "pinch point."  Attorney Tom D’Amore negotiated a significant legal settlement on behalf of the man's surviving children.

If you or a family member has been seriously injured or killed as a result of a construction site accident, contact the experienced construction accident attorneys at D’Amore & Associates for a FREE CONSULTATION. D’Amore & Associates represents clients in Oregon, Washington and California.