A crane accident in Manhattan that killed one man and injured three people last month has resulted in a $40 million lawsuit against the City of New York. The lawsuit, filed by a 73-year old victim of the crane collapse in Manhattan, alleges that the city was negligent in its duty to protect passersby. While the city does perform safety inspections at such job sites, there is a question whether the jobsite are adequately inspected.
Mr. Thomas O’Brien, a resident of Easton, was sitting in his car when the massive 565-foot crane came crashing down, crushing his vehicle and pinning him inside. Workers at the jobsite were in the process of lowering the crane so it could be secured against expected high winds when the collapse occurred. Mr. O’Brien was rushed to Bellevue Hospital with unspecified injuries.
An investigation into the deadly crane accident in Manhattan is still ongoing and no official cause has been announced. However, immediately after the crane collapse the mayor’s office ordered all cranes in the city to be secured. This particular crane accident in New York also spurred a law change that increases the number of inspections at job sites but also increases fines for certain violations.
This law will force contractors and property owners to take better notice of potential safety hazards that typically have serious and even fatal consequences for construction workers and innocent passersby.
A spokesperson from the city’s law department told reporters that they would be looking into Mr. Obrien’s claim. Similar lawsuits against the City of New York, property owners, general contractors and sub-contractors based on common law negligence and violations of the New York Labor Law have resulted in substantial settlements and verdicts for pain and suffering, unpaid medical expenses and lost income starting from the date of accident into the future.
If you or a loved one has been injured on or near any of the job sites across the city, contact one of the experienced New York City crane accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel. Call 800-734-9338 to learn your rights.