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Crane Accident Lawyers
If a crane boom failed, a load dropped, or falling objects from a lift injured you on a New York City job — or if you were hurt on the street below while a crane was working — get medical care first. Then preserve what you can: photographs of the crane and the load path, the exclusion zone that was or was not marked, the names of people who saw the signal or the drop, and any report you were asked to sign. Call The Frankel Law Firm. There is no fee to speak with us or for us to evaluate a potential case.
Crane accidents in New York City
Cranes appear on high-rise towers, bridge and infrastructure work, demolition sites, and mid-block renovations across New York City. Tower cranes, mobile cranes, and related lifting equipment move steel, concrete, formwork, and debris overhead every day. When a boom fails, a load slips, a rigging connection breaks, or an object falls from a lift, workers on the deck and people on the street below can be hurt in the same event.
Fact patterns vary. A boom or jib may collapse or tip under wind, overload, or a failed outrigger. A suspended load may drop when a sling, hook, or tag line fails. Falling objects — tools, materials, or parts of the load — may leave the lift path and strike someone outside the intended drop zone. Signal confusion, missing exclusion zones, and defective equipment all appear in real cases. The legal path that may apply depends on who was hurt, who controlled the lift, what safety measures were present or missing, and whether the defendant is a private owner, general contractor, subcontractor, crane operator, equipment supplier, or public entity.
This page focuses on crane, boom, load-drop, and falling-object injuries from lifting operations. For the broader Labor Law overview and workers’ compensation versus third-party questions, see construction accidents. If the injury was a scaffold fall or other elevation device without a crane, see New York City scaffold accident lawyer. Call The Frankel Law Firm to talk through what happened.
Labor Law touchpoints when a crane is involved
New York Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), and 241(6) may matter in a crane case, depending on the facts. None of them applies automatically. Courts apply each section case by case. Whether a statute applies — and against whom — depends on the job, the injury, and who controlled the work.
Labor Law § 240(1) — often called the Scaffold Law — addresses certain elevation-related hazards and the duty to furnish proper protection. In some crane cases, an elevation risk is present: a worker may fall from a height while working with or near lifting equipment, or an object may fall from a height during a lift. Section 240(1) may apply to some of those facts when proper protection was not furnished or failed. It does not apply to every crane injury. A same-level incident with no elevation-related risk may raise other theories instead. It is not accurate to say that every crane accident is a § 240 case, that liability under the Scaffold Law is always absolute, or that an employer is always sueable in a damages action. Owners and contractors often dispute whether the hazard was elevation-related and whether the devices furnished were adequate. Those disputes turn on evidence, not on labels.
Labor Law § 200 is often described as a codification of a common-law duty to provide a reasonably safe place to work; claims may turn on who directed or controlled the work and who created or had notice of a dangerous condition — including how a lift was planned or signaled. Labor Law § 241(6) may support a claim when a specific Industrial Code rule that sets a concrete safety standard was violated and that violation contributed to the injury. Which Code provisions matter is fact-dependent; this page does not list them.
When the facts are mainly elevation and falling-object protection, § 240(1) may be the natural focus. When the facts turn on site control, notice of a hazard, or a specific Industrial Code rule around lifting operations, §§ 200 or 241(6) may fit more naturally — alone or together with § 240(1). For §§ 200, 240(1), and 241(6) together, see construction accidents. For deeper Scaffold Law / elevation analysis without a crane, see New York City scaffold accident lawyer. Talk to The Frankel Law Firm before assuming which statute — if any — fits your facts.
Workers and people nearby
A crane collapse, boom failure, load drop, or falling object can injure a worker on the site and a pedestrian, neighbor, motorist, or visitor below. Those two people may face different legal paths. Workers often have workers’ compensation available from their own employer and, depending on the facts, may also have third-party claims against others who controlled the lift or created a hazard. A bystander generally is not on a workers’ compensation track for that job, but may still have claims against responsible parties under other theories.
Say clearly, when you call, whether you were a worker on the job or someone nearby — walking under a lift path, driving past a site, or living next to a renovation. That distinction helps the firm ask the right first questions. It does not decide the outcome of any claim.
Workers’ compensation and third-party claims
For many injured workers, a claim against one’s own employer is a workers’ compensation matter. Workers’ compensation can provide medical benefits and wage replacement under its own rules. Separately, an injured worker may have a third-party claim against an owner, general contractor, subcontractor, crane company, equipment supplier, or another non-employer. New York Labor Law claims are often framed as third-party claims of that kind. Whether both tracks are available and who may be sued turn on the facts of the job.
This page does not repeat the full overview. For workers’ compensation versus third-party claims in construction, see construction accidents. Ask The Frankel Law Firm to review your situation.
Evidence to preserve after a crane accident
Evidence fades. Cranes are moved, loads are cleared, cameras are overwritten, and witnesses leave the site. When it is safe to do so, these steps often help:
- Get medical care and keep every discharge paper, imaging report, and follow-up note.
- Photograph the crane (including any visible identification), the boom position if still visible, the load or debris path, exclusion-zone markings present or missing, your injuries, and any warning signs — date-stamp if you can.
- Note weather, wind, ground or outrigger conditions, and whether a lift was in progress, being set up, or being dismantled.
- Write down the names, employers, and phone numbers of witnesses, the signal person if known, supervisors, and anyone who controlled access to the lift area.
- Ask for a copy of any incident or accident report you are asked to sign; do not guess at facts you do not know.
- If you learn of an OSHA inspection, Department of Buildings action, or other agency report, note the date and keep any paperwork you receive — do not invent a duty to obtain records you cannot safely get.
- Keep pay stubs, work tickets, lift plans or tickets you were given, and any texts or emails about the job or the accident.
- Save damaged hard hats, clothing, tools, or personal protective equipment in a bag rather than discarding them until you have spoken with counsel.
This checklist is not legal advice and is not a substitute for an evaluation of your facts. Safety comes first — do not re-enter a hazardous area to take photographs.
Time limits — ask before you assume
CPLR § 214 sets a three-year period for many personal-injury actions. Exceptions, discovery rules, and other statutes can change the analysis. When a public corporation is involved, General Municipal Law § 50-e generally requires a Notice of Claim within ninety days after the claim arises. Late-notice relief under § 50-e(5) is discretionary, not automatic. City-owned sites and public authorities can raise notice questions that private jobs do not.
Always ask The Frankel Law Firm. Do not compute a deadline from this page, and do not assume that a private three-year period or a ninety-day public notice period applies to your matter.
Talk through what happened
If a crane boom failure, load drop, or falling object from a lift left you hurt in New York City, call The Frankel Law Firm. There is no fee to speak with us or for us to evaluate a potential case.
Questions about crane accidents in New York
What kinds of crane accidents does this page cover?
This page focuses on boom failures, load drops, falling objects from lifting operations, and related crane injuries in New York City — whether you were a worker on the site or someone nearby on the street. Call The Frankel Law Firm for a free evaluation of your situation.
Does Labor Law § 240 apply to every crane accident?
No. Section 240(1) may apply to some crane cases when an elevation-related risk and proper protection are at issue — for example, certain falls from a height or certain injuries from objects falling from a height during a lift. Other crane facts may fit more naturally under § 200, § 241(6), or other theories. It is not accurate to say that every crane accident is a § 240 case or that liability is always absolute. Ask The Frankel Law Firm before assuming which statute fits your facts.
What if I was on the street when a load or object fell from a crane?
Workers on the job and people nearby — pedestrians, neighbors, motorists, visitors — may face different legal paths. A bystander generally is not on a workers’ compensation track for that job, but may still have claims against responsible parties. Tell the firm whether you were a worker or someone nearby so the first questions are framed correctly.
What evidence helps after a crane collapse or load drop?
Photographs of the crane, boom position, load or debris path, and exclusion zones present or missing; witness and signal-person names; incident reports; medical records; and any OSHA or Department of Buildings paperwork you receive can all matter. Preserve what you can when it is safe. Do not re-enter a hazardous area. Call The Frankel Law Firm; the evidence checklist on this page is general information, not legal advice.
How do workers’ compensation and a third-party claim fit together?
A claim against one’s own employer is often a workers’ compensation matter. Separately, a third-party claim against an owner, general contractor, crane company, or other non-employer may be available, including under Labor Law theories. Whether both tracks apply turns on the facts. For the fuller overview, see construction accidents, and ask The Frankel Law Firm.
How soon should I call if a city or public owner is involved?
When a public corporation is involved, General Municipal Law § 50-e generally requires a Notice of Claim within ninety days after the claim arises. That period can be short. Always ask The Frankel Law Firm promptly; do not compute a deadline from this page, and do not assume the ninety-day period — or a private three-year period — applies to your matter.
What does it cost to call The Frankel Law Firm?
There is no fee to speak with The Frankel Law Firm or to evaluate a potential crane accident case. If the firm takes a matter, fee terms are explained in writing before anything is signed. Ask on the first call.
Should I read the crane page or the scaffold page?
If a crane, boom, load drop, or related heavy lifting equipment was involved, this page is the right place to start. If the injury involved a scaffold, ladder, hoist, or other elevation device without a crane, see New York City scaffold accident lawyer. For New York Labor Law and workers’ compensation versus third-party claims, see construction accidents. Call The Frankel Law Firm either way — we will help you sort out the next step.
More information
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This page is general information about New York crane accidents and related Labor Law questions. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Whether Labor Law §§ 200, 240(1), or 241(6), workers’ compensation, or a Notice of Claim applies depends on the facts. It is not accurate to say that every crane accident is a § 240 case, that liability is always absolute, or that an employer is always sueable. A telephone call or online inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship. The firm represents a client only if it agrees to do so. Please do not send medical records until representation has been agreed.