Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
A crane accident can happen in seconds and leave you with injuries that take months or years to recover from. The weight, height, and force involved in these incidents make them among the most serious on any construction site, and the claims process that follows is rarely simple.
Shulman & Hill has over 200 years of combined experience handling construction accident claims for injured New Yorkers across every borough. A crane accident lawyer in Queens from our firm handles workers’ compensation claims and third-party liability cases for injured workers, pedestrians, and families across Queens.
When you are ready to talk, a Queens workers compensation lawyer at our firm is available for a free consultation. Reach out today.
How Crane Accidents Happen and What Causes Them
Crane accidents often happen because multiple safety steps break down at once. A lifted load may be too heavy, the ground may be unstable, or the crew may not be properly trained for the task. On busy Queens construction sites, that environment increases the chance of preventable incidents when safety rules are ignored.
Common causes include the following:
- Improper assembly or disassembly of the crane
- Overloading the crane or misjudging load capacity
- Inadequate inspection, maintenance, or repair
- Contact with power lines or nearby structures
- Poor communication between operators, riggers, and signal persons
- Unstable ground, weather issues, or unsafe site planning
Mechanical problems can also play a role. Faulty parts, worn cables, failed brakes, and defective safety devices can all turn routine lifting operations into catastrophic events.
Injuries Often Seen in Crane Accident Cases
Crane incidents frequently cause severe harm because of the weight, height, and force involved. Even when a worker survives, recovery can take months or years and may never be complete.
Common injuries include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Crush injuries and fractures
- Amputations or loss of function
- Burns and electrical injuries
- Internal organ damage
These injuries can affect your ability to return to construction work or any job at all. A crane accident lawyer in Queens can help you pursue compensation that reflects both your current losses and the long-term impact on your life.
Who May Be Liable for Your Losses
Many crane accident claims involve more than one party. Workers’ compensation may cover an injured employee regardless of fault, but a separate personal injury claim may exist if someone other than your employer contributed to the incident.
Potentially liable parties include general contractors, property owners, subcontractors, crane companies, maintenance providers, and equipment manufacturers. On multi-employer construction sites, New York Labor Law sections 240 and 241 may also apply, creating additional avenues for recovery against owners and general contractors for elevation-related and safety violations.
Liability depends on the facts, the contracts involved, and what safety duties each party had on the project. We evaluate every angle early so no path to recovery is missed.
New York Labor Law and How It Protects Crane Accident Victims
New York Labor Law creates some of the strongest protections in the country for construction workers injured at elevation or by falling objects. Section 240, known as the Scaffold Law, places strict liability on owners and general contractors when a worker suffers a gravity-related injury because proper protection was not provided or failed.
Section 241(6) sets safety standards for construction, excavation, and demolition work, and violations of specific Industrial Code rules can support your civil claim. Section 200 addresses general site safety and supervision, and can apply when a property owner or general contractor had control over the conditions that caused the accident.
These statutes can support claims against parties who had no direct role in operating the crane but still bear responsibility under New York law. We evaluate which provisions apply to your case from the start.
What to Do After a Crane Accident and What Evidence Matters
The steps you take after an accident can affect both your health and your claim.
Here are the most important actions to take right away:
- Report the accident to your employer or supervisor in writing
- Seek medical treatment immediately and follow all care instructions
- Photograph the scene, equipment, and any visible injuries
- Collect names of witnesses and nearby contractors
- Keep records of missed work and out-of-pocket costs
- Avoid giving recorded statements to insurers before speaking with an attorney
Construction sites change quickly, damaged equipment gets moved, and witnesses become harder to locate as time passes. We send preservation letters early to secure incident reports, OSHA records, maintenance histories, and video footage before they disappear.
Compensation Available After a Crane Accident
Workers’ compensation covers authorized medical treatment, a portion of lost wages, and disability benefits if you cannot return to work right away. In cases involving permanent impairment, schedule loss of use awards may also apply.
Workers’ compensation does not cover pain and suffering. If a third party contributed to the incident, a separate civil claim can pursue full lost earnings, future medical costs, pain and suffering, and other damages that workers’ comp simply does not reach.
The value of a claim depends on the severity of your injuries, your recovery outlook, and the evidence showing fault. We calculate the full scope of your losses from day one and pursue every dollar available under New York law.
Talk to a Crane Accident Lawyer in Queens Today
Crane accidents are among the most serious construction site injuries, and the evidence that makes these cases winnable can disappear within days. The contractors, carriers, and manufacturers on the other side are not waiting, and neither should you.
Shulman & Hill has recovered over $1 billion for injured New Yorkers and knows exactly what it takes to go up against the parties responsible for a crane accident. A crane accident lawyer in Queens from our firm will investigate your case, identify every liable party, and fight for every dollar you are owed.
Reach out today for a free consultation. New York, we got you.
