Orlando Florida Crane Accidents

Orlando Florida Crane AccidentsIn March 2008, a seven-ton crane section fell 30 stories onto a 1920’s-style Miami home. The incident made national headlines because the house had been featured in the 1998 comedy, There’s Something About Mary. But more than a Hollywood landmark was lost. The crane collapse killed two construction workers and injured five others.

Cranes play an invaluable role in Florida’s construction industry. But as this incident illustrates, they can also be dangerous and deadly. However, if you or a loved one was injured by an on-the-job crane accident, your medical bills and lost wages should be covered by the workers’ compensation program in Florida.

Attorney Frank M. Eidson has helped workers in Orlando, Winter Park and across central Florida to recover these benefits. He can go to work for you, too. Contact Frank M. Eidson, P.A., today to receive a free consultation about your case.

How Common are Crane Accidents?

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), there are about 125,000 cranes being operated today in the U.S. construction industry.

One study that analyzed data over a 15-year span found that an average of 42 crane-related deaths and 18 fatal accidents occur each year in the U.S.

These incidents have involved:

  • Mobile or truck cranes
  • Overhead or gantry cranes
  • Tower cranes
  • Floating or barge cranes.

Who Is At Risk of a Crane Accident?

The types of workers most likely to be involved in a crane accident, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), are:

  • Construction laborers (particularly lift and material handling equipment workers)
  • Heavy equipment operators
  • Construction supervisors/managers/administrators
  • Ironworkers
  • Mechanics
  • Crane and tower operators
  • Welders, cutters, solderers and braziers
  • Electrical workers
  • Sheet metal workers
  • Truck drivers.

What Types of Crane Accidents Occur?

According to OSHA, the leading types of crane accidents are:

  • The crane or boom contacting power lines (electrocution)
  • Overturned crane
  • Dropped loads
  • Boom collapse
  • Counter weight crushing incident
  • Outrigger use
  • Rigging failures
  • Falls
  • Under the hook lifting device.

Why Do Crane Accidents Happen?

Nine out of 10 crane accidents are the result of human error. The incidents that commonly lead to crane accidents include:

  • Operators exceeding the crane’s capacity (overloading)
  • Swinging the boom or executing a lift without the outriggers fully extended
  • Operating a crane on uneven, unstable or icy surfaces
  • Broken cables, rigging or stabilizers
  • Shifted crane load or boom.

How Can a Florida Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Help With Your Crane Accident Injury?

An accident that causes you to miss work can have a huge impact on you and your family. Workers’ compensation is designed to pick up the economic slack of medical bills and lost wages. A setback in pursuing your claim could jeopardize your ability to make ends meet.

Potential complications with Florida workers’ compensation claims typically relate to paperwork, filing deadlines, delayed or denied claims and other issues that can be promptly resolved with help from an experienced attorney.

In a crane accident, compensation may be available from parties other than your employer. Crane maintenance companies, the crane manufacturer, crane parts manufacturers, crane distributors or retailers, contractors (such as crane operators or riggers) working for a different employer and others may bear blame for the accident.

Frank M. Eidson, P.A., can help you to sort through your rights and options. Simply call us today to get started with a free initial consultation.

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Contact Our Orlando Attorney

If you have been injured in an accident, turn to Frank M. Eidson P.A. Whether your case is a simple collision or a complicated auto wrongful death case, contact personal injury lawyer Frank Eidson today to schedule your free consultation.

407-245-2887