Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law
  • Home
  • About
    • Attorneys
    • Michael J. Gaffney
  • Practice Areas
    • Construction Accidents
    • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • Wrongful Death Cases
    • New Jersey Accidents
    • Pedestrian Knockdowns
    • Serious Injuries
    • Slip-And-Fall Accidents
  • Blog
  • Contact
Select Page

Premises liability: New York crane accident kills one

On behalf of Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law | Feb 17, 2016 | Premises Liability

Recent accidents in New York show that pedestrians are at risk every time they walk the streets. Negligent parties could be responsible for some of these accidents. A tragic crane accident in Lower Manhattan left one man dead and three others injured.

The construction crew operating the crane was attempting to secure the crane because of the wind gusts and falling snow in the area. As they began to bring down the 565-foot-high boom of the crane, the crane began to topple over. It ended up falling from the sky and crashing onto the street below. Two of the three injured people were taken to the hospital and were listed as stable. The third person’s injuries were minor.

The crew was using the crane, or crawler, to install generators and air-conditioning units on top of the former Western Union building on Hudson Street. The large crane, operated by Galasso Trucking and Rigging, was able to carry up to 330 tons and handle wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour. The wind gusts on the day of the accident were close to 20 miles per hour, which is why the crew decided to bring the crane down to a secure level.

The damage was profound, with debris scattered everywhere and multiple gas and water leaks. While the leaks were not deemed by officials to be dangerous, gas service was shut off in the area. Officials also demanded that the city’s 376 other crawler cranes and 43 of the larger tower cranes be secured.

Officials have taken note of the increase in New York City construction fatalities and injuries. In November, the New York Times found that the increase of deaths in and injuries exceeded the rate of new construction. The lack of supervision at the construction sites and failure to implement proper safety measures may have played a role in this increase. With the lives of construction workers and pedestrians at risk, Mayor de Blasio is increasing his efforts to improve construction safety.

The city comptroller has said that the Buildings Department has not properly inspected the cranes being used. A spokesman for the Buildings Department has reported that they will hire additional crane inspectors to help the situation. Hopefully, these improvements will reduce the number of injuries and deaths occurring on the streets of New York.

Source: The New York Times, “Crane Collapse in Lower Manhattan Kills One Person,” Rick Rojas & Emma G. Fitzsimmons, Feb. 5, 2016

Recent Posts

  • Be wary: Traffic deaths in New York are higher than ever
  • How pedestrians can avoid being victims of pedestrian crashes
  • What Are The Crucial Steps After A Crash?
  • Don’t blindly trust a walk signal
  • Get to know your new (or rented) car before you start driving

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014

Categories

  • blog
  • Car Accidents
  • Dog Bites
  • Firm News
  • Injuries
  • Medical Malpractice
  • Motorcycle Accidents
  • Pedestrian Accidents
  • Premises Liability

RSS Feed

Subscribe To This Blog’s Feed

FindLaw Network

Take The First Step

Let my experience help you down the road of recovery.

 Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law

Office Location:

1164 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10301

Phone: 347-286-1937

Staten Island Office Location
Review Us
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
Attorney Advertising.

© 2021 Michael J. Gaffney, Attorney at Law. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Business Development Solutions by FindLaw, part of Thomson Reuters