Crane Injuries are a Dangerous Risk to Construction Site Workers and the Public

    LOS ANGELES, CA, June 12, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With so many public improvement projects taking place throughout California, Attorney Michael Ehline, believes that construction workers and the general public should know that crane injuries are a real danger to construction site workers and the public. These are not accidents that occur daily, which means that most people do not realize how dangerous it can be in a location where a crane is in use.

When a crane accident happens, the construction workers are in immediate danger of being injured or killed, along with the crane operator. The way these kind of accidents occur is through operator error, not following the manufacturer's instructions and using the heavy duty machinery in an unsafe manner or location can prove fatal. Ehline says that one this to look at is potential manufacturing defects as well.

Examples of Recent Crane Accidents in the News

Attorney Michael Ehline points out some of the crane accidents that have occurred, in California and in other states, in order to support this proposition. One reported by the LA Times, that occurred in California, reportedly involved a five axle "All Terrain" crane, a Grove model GMK5240 that was owned by Crane Rental Service.

According to the LA Times and other public news sources, the crane overturned at the crane owner's yard at West Collins Avenue in Orange County. The accident happened, while the crane was being tested or inspected. At the time the accident occurred the boom was completely extended and the outriggers fully set. The machine tipped backward and the boom nose hit the ground, causing the boom to buckle. This resulted in the crane operator to be thrown through the superstructure cab windscreen and fell almost ten feet to the ground. The injured crane operator refused medical treatment after the accident.

The Orange County, California crane accident resulted in one injury that was not life-threatening, but that is not the case with many crane accidents, including several that happened in New York that caused increased regulations to make it safer for construction workers and the general public.

One of these crane accidents took the life of a young man that was working alongside of his father at a construction site, in order to pay off his student loans. The accident that occurred ending his life was a 170 foot crane that collapsed, when the upper portion that was an 80 foot span broke off the body of the crane and fell.

According to the New York Times, a crane accident that occurred in New York in 2008, killed nine people, in Manhattan. The first of these crane accidents took the lives of seven people and believed to have been caused by not following zoning rules. The times reported the second crane accident that year, killed two construction workers.

Ehline says that due to these accidents in New York, currently, the crane operator must have three years of experienced under a city licensed crane operator and officials are trying to make the laws tougher.

Experienced crane accident attorney Michael P. Ehline, Esq., knows crane accidents can be devastating and also happen with no warning. He said even with stricter regulations like what is being proposed in New York, this kind of accident will probably still occur at some date in the future. Ehline says that California has strict rules for crane operation and workers are still injured or killed when there is an accident. In some cases it is not the crane collapsing, but instead debris that falls due to the working of the crane that causes injuries and death.

Attorney Michael P. Ehline, writes educational releases and factual breakdowns for California consumers who wish to understand personal injury law and their legal rights. If you would like to learn more, contact 201 Wilshire Blvd. #2 Santa Monica, CA 90401. 310.376.8488 www.ehlinelaw.com

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