Cranes are a fundamental piece of heavy machinery used in the construction industry. While mobile cranes constitute an essential form of heavy equipment on many building projects, they also are a leading cause of serious injury and wrongful death in construction accidents. It has been estimated that a third of all fatal construction accidents involve cranes. Though this is a significant percentage of construction industry fatalities, the number of injuries and fatalities associated with crane accidents is probably much higher because most industry statistics tend to lump cranes in with other heavy machinery. Many people underestimate the significance of the danger posed by a crane. However, there are nearly a 100,000 cranes in use and a multitude of hazards related to each, so serious crane accidents are relatively common in Mississippi and throughout the country.
Our experienced Mississippi construction accident law firm has been representing those injured by heavy machinery, including accidents involving cranes, for over three-quarters of a century. If you have been seriously injured or a loved one has been killed in a fatal crane accident in the Gulf Coast, our experienced Mississippi crane accident attorneys conduct an independent investigation of our clients’ accidents on construction projects throughout Mississippi. If you are the victim of a construction accident or you have lost a loved one in a crane accident, you may be entitled to compensation for injuries or other forms of loss.
There are many factors that can cause a crane accidents, but some of the most serious involve:
- Any failure of lifting tackle or unanticipated rigging failure that causes a falling load
- Employees working within the radius of a swinging cab or counterweight
- Inadvertent rotation of the turntable
- Crane tipping accidents related to an improperly secured load or excessively heavy load
- Accidents related to access and egress of the crane
- Operator error resulting from confusion regarding controls
- Electrocution of crane operators or nearby workers when cranes contact power lines
- Injuries to people on the ground from a moving or falling load
- Improper assembly or disassembly resulting from inadequate communication or worker mistakes
- Accidents involving manlifts
- Malfunction of the crane or its component parts
- Boom buckling
A crane is a complex piece of machinery, so these factors are only a small sampling of potential causes of Mississippi crane accidents. Specific OSHA requirements and other state and federal safety regulations are designed to mitigate the risk associated with crane use. But these regulations often fail to prevent serious crane mishaps and other construction accidents. In certain cases, OSHA regulations are ignored, which places crane operators and other construction workers at risk of serious injury or wrongful death.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a serious crane accident or you have lost someone you love in a mobile crane accident, you should seek immediate legal advice from an experience Gulf Coast construction accident attorney. We can explore the viability of a worker’s compensation claim against your employer and a personal injury lawsuit against negligent third parties. At Barrett Law, our Mississippi Construction Accident Attorney is here to help. Contact our firm today at (601)790-1505 to schedule your free consultation, so we can answer any questions you may have regarding your right to financial compensation.
