Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
A serious crane incident can leave you dealing with pain, missed work, medical treatment, and uncertainty about how your bills will be paid. At Shulman & Hill Injury Lawyers, we help injured workers and families pursue claims involving construction crane accidents, falling loads, equipment failures, and related job site injuries.
With over 200 years of combined experience, our crane accident lawyers in Hempstead can help you file a workers’ compensation claim and, potentially, a separate claim against another party.
Call us today for a free consultation to discuss your case. We can explain how our workers’ compensation lawyer in Hempstead can help.
What Makes Crane Accidents So Serious?
Crane accidents often cause life-changing injuries because of the weight, height, and force involved. A falling load, a boom collapse, or contact with a worker below can lead to head trauma, spinal injuries, fractures, crush injuries, or death.
These cases are also different from many other workplace accidents because several companies may be involved on one site. A property owner, general contractor, crane company, subcontractor, or maintenance provider may each have had some role in what happened.
Our personal injury lawyers in Hempstead can determine your options for seeking compensation and build your claim.
Common Causes of Crane Accidents
Crane incidents are often linked to preventable safety failures. Even one mistake can put workers, pedestrians, and nearby drivers at risk.
Some of the more common causes include:
- Overloaded cranes or improperly balanced loads
- Mechanical failure or poor equipment maintenance
- Unsafe rigging, hoisting, or signaling practices
- Contact with power lines or other nearby hazards
- Inadequate training or lack of supervision
When our Hempstead crane accident attorneys review a claim, we look closely at how the accident happened and whether site rules, equipment standards, or labor law duties were ignored.
Your Legal Options After a Crane Accident
If you were hurt on the job, workers’ compensation may be your first source of recovery. In New York, these benefits may cover medical care and part of your lost wages, without you having to prove employer negligence.
In some crane accident cases, you may also have a third-party claim. That can apply when someone other than your direct employer contributed to the injury, such as a contractor, equipment company, property owner, or another outside party.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits You May Be Able to Receive
Workers’ compensation benefits are meant to help you after a work-related injury, but getting approved and paid fairly is not always simple. Delays, disputes, and denials can happen when insurers question the injury, treatment, or time missed from work.
You may be able to seek benefits for:
- Medical treatment related to the accident
- Partial wage replacement while you cannot work
- Payments for temporary or permanent disability
- Travel costs for medical care in some situations
- Death benefits for surviving family members
Our Hempstead crane accident lawyers help clients prepare claims, respond to insurer challenges, and pursue hearings when benefits are delayed or denied.
When a Third-Party Lawsuit May Be Available
Workers’ compensation usually bars you from suing your employer directly, but that does not prevent a separate case against another liable party. This can matter in crane accident cases because construction sites often involve multiple companies with separate duties.
A third-party lawsuit may allow you to seek damages not available through workers’ compensation, such as full lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses tied to the injury. Whether that option exists depends on the facts, the contracts on the project, and the evidence collected after the accident.
Evidence Our Hempstead Crane Accident Attorneys Use to Support Your Claim
Strong evidence can make a real difference in both workers’ compensation and third-party cases. Useful evidence may include incident reports, witness statements, photos of the site, video footage, inspection logs, maintenance records, medical records, and job site communications.
Our crane accident lawyers in Hempstead gather and review these materials to build a clear account of what happened. That work can help support your right to benefits and identify whether another party may be legally responsible.
Steps to Take After a Crane Accident
What you do after a crane accident can affect your health and your claim. Getting prompt medical care and reporting the incident quickly can create a record that supports your case.
If you are able, try to:
- Report the accident to a supervisor as soon as possible
- Seek medical treatment right away
- Follow your doctor’s care plan and keep appointments
- Save photos, names of witnesses, and paperwork
- Avoid giving recorded statements without legal guidance
Our crane accident lawyer in Hempstead can help you figure out what steps make sense.
Crane Accident Injuries and Long-Term Impact
A crane accident can affect nearly every part of your life. You may be unable to return to the same type of work, and your treatment may continue long after the incident itself.
Many injured workers face:
- Broken bones and orthopedic injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back, neck, and spinal cord damage
- Crush injuries and internal trauma
- Amputations or loss of function
These injuries may lead to ongoing physical pain, emotional stress, and financial strain. Our Hempstead crane accident lawyer can evaluate how those losses fit into your workers’ compensation claim or any available third-party case.
Why Early Action Can Help Protect Your Case
Time matters after a crane accident. Witnesses forget details, site conditions change, and important records may become harder to obtain.
Early legal action can also help you avoid mistakes with insurance forms, medical documentation, and deadlines. If your benefits were denied or you suspect another party caused the accident, getting legal help early may improve your ability to present a stronger claim.
Call Us for Help From a Crane Accident Lawyer in Hempstead
After a crane-related injury, you may be facing lost income, medical treatment, and pressure from insurance companies. You should not have to sort through these issues alone while trying to recover.
Shulman & Hill helps injured workers and families pursue benefits and compensation after serious construction accidents. Contact us today to discuss your case and take the next step toward your claim.