Catastrophic crane accidents causing injuries and deaths typically happen during one of three stages: crane erection, crane lifting or operation, and crane dismantling. Crane erection is the first stage of employing a crane and can be dangerous. When a crane accident happens, call and talk to a crane accident lawyer today. Free Case Review 1-800-883-9858
Tower Crane Erection Process Must be Careful
A tower crane’s erection necessitates careful planning and meticulous procedures. The vital first step in this process is to determine where to assemble and place a tower crane. Then the crane’s mast section must be set into a foundation with steel pedestals. After concrete is poured and the concrete is cured, the crane is ready to be erected.
Mast sections then are added until the desired crane height is reached. The crane operator’s cabin, or turntable, which may be the heaviest part of the crane, is then added. This section may be split into parts in order to be able to reduce its weight during assembly and erection.
Following the installation of the turntable, or operator’s cabin, the tower top is added, with four large pins used as connecting members. The mast section bolts then are tightened, and the crane’s jibs are assembled, with the counter jib erected as a single piece. Any necessary erection ballast also is installed in the counter jib.
Various other procedures then are followed, including setting motion limits for the hoist and trolley and conducting a load test to 100 percent of the crane’s operational capacity. The entire process can be completed in about one day, but many elements are needed, including up to a dozen trucks, seven crane erectors, three crane operators and two mobile cranes.
With such an elaborate process involving so many workers and so much equipment, erection of a tower crane can cost between $15,000 and $60,000, depending on the size of the crane.
Crane Erection Accidents
Accidents can occur during the crane erection process. For one thing, a crane may collapse at this time. Also, the heavy machinery that’s put into motion during crane erection can be dangerous. In one case, a flatbed truck driver who’d delivered steel beams to a job site stood near a hydraulic crane which was offloading the truck to observe the crane erection operation.
The area had been secured by the steel erection company. Rather than barricade the area within the crane’s swing radius, the company placed walls, vehicles and two employees in strategic places to prevent unauthorized persons from nearing the crane. The truck driver was allowed to stay in the secured area since he was known to the crew.
The driver then apparently walked toward the crane and was crushed between its counterweight and the right rear outrigger. Suffering severe injuries to his liver and other internal organs and to his chest, he died later on the same day. As this incident substantiates, bystanders during cane erections or other crane operations often are the victims of crane accidents. In fact, the most common cause of crane accident fatalities involves bystanders or workers who are struck by an object falling from a crane.
Contact with power lines is another common cause of crane accident deaths, and this can occur during crane erection as well as well during the operation of the crane on a construction site.
Crane Erection Accident Lawsuits
Families of victims of crane erection accidents can seek financial compensation for their losses by means of crane erection accident lawsuits. These lawsuits can seek the payments to which they may be legally entitled for lost wages, pain, suffering, medical costs or funeral and burial costs. If someone in your family has suffered injury or death in a crane accident during erection of the crane, notify The Willis Law Firm today for a free and confidential legal review of your case. Your family may be entitled to substantial payments for your losses.
Keep in mind that you won’t have to pay us any up-front legal fees for our services. With decades of experience handling injury lawsuits, our law firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning we are only paid if we win for you, and then only from a portion of the settlement amount in your favor.
Contact us today, and let’s get started protecting your legal rights after an injury occurs due to an accident during crane erection.
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