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Crane Collapses are a new epidemic

Anyone who lives in the DC area is familiar with the presence of construction cranes. Since Northern Virginia and Maryland are always re-defining themselves, construction of new buildings is constant. It has always been that way, but recently, construction in the area accelerated at a very fast pace.

Over the past few months, it seems that there has been an epidemic of these enormous machines collapsing, causing deaths, injuries, and millions of dollars worth of property damage. While several of these collapses have occurred in New York, there have also been crane collapses all over the country. What is the cause of these collapses? Can anything be done to prevent further collapses? And what legal options do the victims and their families have?

Collapse Epidemic

Since2008 began, there have been two separate crane collapses that have lead to nine deaths in New York City. The first collapse happened in March, where six construction workers and one tourist were killed. The second collapse happened in late May, and the end result there was the death of two construction workers.

It isn’t just New York where workers are innocent bystanders are being hurt or killed by crane accidents. South Florida has had an unbelievable FIVE crane accidents that have resulted in two deaths and eight serious injuries. On June 2^nd, two Baltimore workers were trapped in a crane collapse. On June 12^th, a crane accident in Dallas killed a man who was working on the new stadium for the Cowboys. In early June, a construction worker in Las Vegas was crushed to death by a crane at the construction site for the new MGM Mirage. And on June 1^st, three coal miners were injured in a crane collapse in Wyoming.

So the obvious questions to be asked are “What on earth is going on with the cranes? Are they all faulty? Are they being set up and run incompetently?”

While the investigations into each of these collapses will take months, an initial look at how these cranes are managed, operated, maintained and regulated leaves much to be desired.

A Lack of Standards, Licensing and Supervision

The sad truth is that most states don’t have training or licensing requirements for crane operators. This means that there are no standards for anyone who operates these enormous and dangerous machines. Many states also don’t even bother to keep track of the number of cranes that are operating within their borders, or even keep track of maintenance records of any of the cranes. Considering the size of these machines, it is almost an inevitability that adjacent properties will get damaged and innocent people will be hurt.

On the Federal level, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hasn’t updated its crane standards since 1971. And the numbers of inspectors that enforce these crane standards are not only too few to be effective, but many of them are unable to issue a stop work order that could possibly save lives. In all, the standards are ineffective, and this puts lives at risk.

At Lewis and Tompkins, we live in D.C. just like you do, and our lives are in just as much danger due to faulty cranes. We take construction accidents very seriously, as the people who get injured could be our family, neighbors and friends. It is our job to see that our clients are treated fairly by contractors and insurance companies, which means that we always strive to obtain the highest level of compensation for them.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a D.C. construction accident, contact the law offices of Lewis and Tompkins for a free legal consultation today.

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Lewis & Tompkins
927 15th Street N.W., 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Phone: 202-296-0666

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Crane Collapses are a new epidemic

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