Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
If you need a New Rochelle crane accident lawyer, our team can help you understand how New York law applies, including workers’ compensation benefits and potential third-party liability arising from unsafe construction practices.
Our team at Shulman & Hill has represented injured workers across New York since 2013, bringing more than 200 years of combined legal experience. If you were injured in a crane accident, contact our New Rochelle workers’ compensation lawyers for a FREE consultation to discuss your legal rights.
Why Crane Accident Cases Require Immediate Investigation
Crane accidents are rarely simple workplace injury claims. A single crane operation may involve a crane owner, rental company, operator, signal person, rigger, subcontractor, general contractor, and property owner, each with different responsibilities under the project contracts and applicable safety regulations.
When an accident happens, identifying how the lift was planned and executed is often central to determining liability. That includes reviewing operator certifications, inspection records, load calculations, site conditions, and communication between the lift crew.
In many cases, the physical evidence changes quickly after the accident. Equipment is removed, job sites are modified, and witness recollections become less precise over time. Early legal intervention allows our New Rochelle personal injury lawyers to preserve records and inspect conditions before important evidence is lost.
Common Crane Accidents on Construction Sites
Crane operations create significant elevation and load-related risks, particularly on active construction sites where multiple trades are working at the same time.
We handle claims involving:
- Dropped loads during lifting operations.
- Swinging loads striking workers below.
- Boom collapses or structural crane failures.
- Crane tip-overs caused by unstable ground conditions.
- Rigging failures from defective slings or improper securing.
- Electrical contact with overhead power lines.
- Hydraulic failures affecting lift control.
- Mechanical brake or hoist malfunctions.
Each of these accidents raises different factual and legal questions. In some cases, the issue involves operator error. In others, it may involve improper inspection, poor maintenance, or unsafe site planning.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits After a Crane Injury
Workers injured in crane accidents are often entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through their employer’s insurance carrier. Under New York workers’ compensation law, benefits may include:
Medical Treatment
Necessary medical care related to your injury, including surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, specialist care, and prescription medication.
Wage Replacement Benefits
Weekly disability payments if your injury prevents you from working or reduces your earning capacity.
Permanent Disability Awards
Compensation for permanent injuries, including Schedule Loss of Use awards where applicable.
Death Benefits
If a crane accident results in a fatal injury, eligible surviving dependents may pursue death benefits and funeral-related expenses.
Third-Party Claims and New York Labor Law Liability
Workers’ compensation benefits do not include damages for pain and suffering or the full value of lost earnings. When another party contributed to the accident, a separate personal injury lawsuit may be available.
Crane accident cases often involve claims against the following:
- General contractors
- Property owners
- Equipment rental companies
- Maintenance companies
- Subcontractors
- Crane manufacturers
Labor Law § 240(1)
New York Labor Law § 240(1), commonly called the Scaffold Law, often applies in crane accident cases involving elevation-related hazards or falling loads.
Where applicable, this law can impose strict liability on owners and contractors who failed to provide proper safety protections.
Labor Law § 241(6)
Labor Law § 241(6) allows claims based on violations of specific Industrial Code provisions governing construction site safety.
In crane cases, those violations may involve load handling, rigging practices, or operational safety requirements.
Our New Rochelle crane accident attorneys review both statutory and negligence-based claims to identify every available source of recovery.
Damages You Can Recover After a Crane Accident
If you have a third-party claim, the compensation available may be broader than workers’ compensation benefits.
A civil claim may include:
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Medical expenses not covered by comp.
- Reduced future earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering.
- Loss of household services.
- Wrongful death damages, where applicable.
The value of these claims depends on medical evidence, work restrictions, future treatment needs, and the long-term effect of the injury on your ability to earn a living.
We work with medical experts, engineers, and vocational professionals when the case requires that level of analysis.
How Our New Rochelle Crane Accident Lawyers Handle Claims
Our process begins by reviewing the job assignment, site conditions, employer reporting, and medical treatment history. From there, we secure available site records, request preservation of crane-related evidence, and identify every company involved in the project.
Where workers’ compensation benefits are disputed, we handle hearings before the New York Workers’ Compensation Board and challenge denials, treatment disputes, and disability findings.
Where third-party claims exist, we investigate liability, conduct depositions, and prepare the case for litigation or trial if settlement negotiations do not result in a fair resolution.
What to Do After a Crane Accident to Protect Your Claim
What happens in the immediate aftermath of a crane accident can affect both your workers’ compensation claim and any related legal action.
Report the accident to your supervisor as soon as possible and make sure an incident report is completed. When you seek medical treatment, explain clearly that the injury happened on the job and describe how it occurred.
If you can, take photographs of the crane, rigging, load area, or site conditions and identify the workers involved in the lift operation. In crane accident cases, those details can help establish how the incident happened and who may be legally responsible beyond your employer.
Speak With a Crane Accident Attorney in New Rochelle
A crane accident can create legal issues that extend beyond a standard workers’ compensation claim. Questions about site control, safety compliance, equipment condition, and contractor responsibility often determine whether additional claims can be pursued under New York law.
At Shulman & Hill, we represent injured construction workers throughout New York in crane accident claims involving workers’ compensation, Labor Law liability, and wrongful death litigation.
If you were injured in a crane-related incident, contact our crane accident attorneys in New Rochelle to discuss your case. We are available 24/7 to take your call, and consultations are FREE.