What Causes Crane Accidents in Texas?
A crane accident investigation must look beyond a single operator’s actions. Equipment operation, lift planning, assembly, ground conditions, rated capacity, weather, power-line clearance, maintenance, training, and site supervision can all require examination. Earlier research into crane accidents has emphasized the role of operational mistakes, but no reliable percentage should be applied to every incident without examining the underlying evidence.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that just over half of fatal crane injuries from 2011 through 2017 involved a worker being struck by an object or equipment. Falls and transportation incidents also represented substantial categories, while other fatal events involved electrical currents and additional hazards. These event categories describe how workers were harmed, not necessarily which person or company was legally responsible.
Common crane failure points include:
- Power-Line Contact: Crane booms, cables, or loads can come into contact with energized lines, causing severe or fatal electrocution injuries.
- Improper Assembly or Disassembly: Missing components, incorrect sequencing, inadequate support, or poor communication can destabilize equipment before or during operation.
- Boom Collapse: Overloading, improper boom configuration, structural damage, hydraulic failure, or operation outside manufacturer specifications can place extreme stress on the boom.
- Crane Tip-Over: A crane can tip when the load exceeds rated capacity, outriggers aren’t properly deployed, or the ground can’t support the equipment.
- Inadequate Operator Training: Operators must understand load charts, crane controls, warning systems, site conditions, and the limits of the equipment being used.
- Falling or Swinging Loads: Rigging failure, improper signaling, load shift, or uncontrolled movement can expose workers within the crane’s swing radius.
- Falls: Operators and other workers may fall from ladders, platforms, booms, or elevated work areas when access and fall-protection measures are inadequate.
- Inspection or Maintenance Failures: Worn wire rope, damaged structural components, faulty brakes, hydraulic leaks, and malfunctioning operational aids may go undetected without proper inspection.
OSHA Cranes and Derricks in Construction standards address subjects such as ground conditions, assembly and disassembly, inspections, power-line safety, operator qualification, signalperson qualification, maintenance, and training. For example, crane equipment generally must be placed on ground that is sufficiently firm, drained, and graded to support the equipment under the manufacturer’s specifications. An investigation may compare those requirements with the lift plan, load charts, inspection records, maintenance history, weather information, training files, communications, and witness accounts.
Crane accidents don’t automatically establish negligence or a right to compensation. Our Houston injury lawyers investigate the evidence before demanding accountability from the responsible parties and determine whether the facts and law support damages such as medical expenses and punitive damages.
Common Injuries Suffered in Texas Crane Accidents
Crane accidents can cause catastrophic injuries that permanently limit a person’s ability to work and live independently.
Survivors may require emergency treatment, multiple surgeries, physical or occupational rehabilitation, assistive devices, ongoing medical care, and vocational changes. When a crane accident is fatal, we represent surviving family members pursuing a wrongful death claim for the financial and personal losses caused by the death.
Crane accidents can cause:
Crane injuries frequently occur when an object or equipment strikes a worker on or near the crane. Operators aren’t the only people at risk. Riggers, signalpersons, ground crews, nearby tradespeople, drivers, site visitors, residents, and bystanders may also suffer life-changing injuries.
How Crane Design Affects an Accident Investigation
A crane’s components work together, so the failure of one part can contribute to a catastrophic failure of the whole. Stability and lifting performance also depend on rated capacity, load position, boom configuration, ground support, and operating conditions.
Three major crane components may require close examination:
- The Lever: The lever allows a crane to lift a heavy object without tipping over. This horizontal beam pivots around a fulcrum, which is the point where one end transfers force to the other. Investigators may examine boom length, counterweight, load radius, configuration, and whether the equipment remained within its rated capacity.
- The Pulley: A pulley is an axle around which cable, wire rope, or a belt moves. The reeving arrangement and related components help distribute lifting force. Worn wire rope, damaged sheaves, improper rigging, or incorrect setup may contribute to dropped loads and equipment failure.
- The Hydraulic Cylinder: A hydraulic cylinder uses pressurized hydraulic fluid to generate force and move the boom or jib. Depending on the crane, it may use single-acting, double-acting, or telescopic cylinders. Leaks, pressure loss, damaged seals, defective valves, or inadequate repairs can become central issues after a malfunction.
Modern cranes may also use load sensors, computerized controls, emergency brakes, anti-collision systems, and operational aids. These systems can generate records or alerts that help establish equipment condition and operator decisions. A crane accident lawyer may need to examine the crane’s design, manufacturing history, inspections, maintenance, repairs, modifications, and operating data to determine why a safety system didn’t function as intended.
Common Types of Cranes
The type of crane involved affects its operating limits, stability requirements, safety systems, records, and likely responsible parties. Crane selection depends on lift height, load weight, mobility, terrain, available space, and project conditions.
Mobile, Construction & Specialty Cranes:
Truck-mounted cranes combine a crane unit with a road-going commercial chassis. Crawler cranes travel on wide tracks that distribute weight across soft or uneven ground. All-terrain cranes combine road mobility with the ability to travel across challenging jobsites. Carry deck cranes use a compact base and rotating boom for pick-and-carry work in confined industrial spaces, while pick-and-carry cranes move loads over short distances without outriggers.
Telescopic & Material-Handling Cranes:
Telescopic cranes use boom sections that slide in and out to adjust reach. Telescopic handler cranes, also called telehandlers, resemble forklifts with extendable booms. Loader cranes, also called knuckle-boom cranes, are hydraulic arms mounted on trucks or trailers. Sidelift cranes lift shipping containers from the side of a truck or trailer, and bulk-handling cranes use grabs or clamshell buckets for materials such as coal, grain, and fertilizer.
Fixed, Tower & Facility Cranes:
Fixed cranes remain anchored to the ground or a permanent foundation. Self-erecting cranes are compact tower cranes that assemble or unfold on site. Hammerhead cranes have a horizontal jib extending from both sides of a supporting tower. Jib cranes use a rotating arm attached to a pillar or wall, while level luffing cranes move the jib while maintaining the load at a relatively consistent level.
Industrial & Warehouse Cranes:
Overhead cranes travel along elevated beams in factories and warehouses. Gantry cranes use a bridge-like structure supported by vertical legs and commonly operate in shipyards or rail yards. Stacker cranes move pallets and materials vertically and horizontally through narrow warehouse aisles.
Marine, Rail & Aerial Cranes:
Floating cranes, sometimes called ship or barge cranes, operate from vessels in marine environments. Deck cranes are mounted directly on ships to load and unload cargo. Railroad cranes travel on rail cars or flanged wheels for track work and derailment response. Aerial cranes, often helicopter-based, carry loads in remote or difficult-to-access locations.
Each design presents different questions after an accident. A crawler crane investigation may focus heavily on ground support and track placement, while a tower crane collapse may require analysis of erection, tie-ins, wind procedures, and site control. Misusing a crane or selecting one unsuited to the environment can contribute to accidents, delays, and serious injuries.
Crane Hazards & OSHA Safety Practices
Cranes increase lifting capacity and efficiency in construction, manufacturing, maritime, transportation, and other industries, but they also expose operators and nearby workers to hazards involving blind spots, swing radius, suspended loads, falling objects, unstable platforms, electrical contact, and changing weather conditions.
Safety systems commonly associated with crane operations include:
- Automatic fire alarms that alert operators and nearby workers if a fire is detected
- Automatic crane shutdowns that stop operations in the event of fire
- Boom-tip cameras that increase visibility around blind spots
- Brake-redundancy systems that provide an additional brake if one fails
- Fail-safe brakes that engage if the control system fails
- Hands-free communication systems that allow operators to keep both hands on the controls
- Hydraulic safeguards used to monitor or maintain hydraulic performance
- Load-holding valves that control unintended movement after pressure loss or hose failure
- Manual emergency stops that override other commands
- Two-way communication systems that connect operators with ground crews
Core crane-safety practices include:
- Assessing each site for ground, clearance, traffic, electrical, and weather hazards
- Establishing a lift-specific plan based on the load, crane configuration, rigging, and site conditions
- Assigning a competent person with the training and authority required for the assigned responsibilities
- Using qualified operators, signalpersons, and riggers for their respective duties
- Training ancillary workers in crane hazards, restricted areas, and communication procedures
Training and communication are key to maintaining a safe environment around a working crane. Workers must communicate work plans, changing conditions, and hazards. Signage and barricades can warn other employees about the danger zone around an operating crane. Blind spots and low visibility can make it difficult for operators to see other workers, so everyone near the lift needs to understand applicable restrictions and signals.
After an accident, these practices help identify which records and decisions require investigation. A crane accident attorney may examine whether the site was assessed, a lift plan existed, qualified personnel were assigned, warnings were communicated, safety devices worked, and emergency instructions were followed. Safety guidance alone doesn’t determine legal liability; responsibility depends on the incident evidence, applicable standards, contracts, equipment records, and control over the work.
Arnold & Itkin’s Experience with Crane Accidents
One of our most notable crane-related cases involved a man who suffered an above-the-knee leg amputation after a crane collapsed. Our client was standing more than 100 feet away from a crane that was being used to drill auger cast pilings. The drill became stuck, but the foreman demanded that the crane operator continue attempting to drill, despite the operator’s requests to stop.
The operator asked the foreman if he could stop the crane five times. The foreman put his deadline ahead of worker safety, and the crane collapsed, pinning our client underneath heavy equipment. We secured a $44 million verdict, the largest amputee verdict in the nation.
We prepare every case for trial. In complex crane litigation, that preparation may involve accident reconstruction, engineering analysis, equipment records, safety evidence, medical testimony, economic calculations, and vocational evidence. It also allows us to test disputed accounts concerning operator instructions, work deadlines, equipment condition, supervision, and corporate responsibility.
Our trial lawyers have faced major corporate defendants, including Johnson & Johnson, Union Pacific, and Bayer/Monsanto. We bring that same preparation to crane cases because clients facing catastrophic injuries need a firm ready to investigate every responsible party and present the evidence in court.
Compensation After a Crane Accident
After a serious crane accident, many workers and families are unsure what financial recovery may be available. Medical bills for emergency or ongoing treatment, lost wages from time away from work, and the cost of long-term rehabilitation can quickly overwhelm a household. A crane accident claim may seek compensation from parties whose negligence or wrongdoing caused the incident, but the available damages depend on the facts and applicable law.
Potential Damages in a Crane Accident Claim
A crane accident attorney at Arnold & Itkin can pursue compensation for past and future medical care, including surgeries, physical therapy, and assistive devices. A claim may also seek lost income and reduced earning capacity if you can’t return to the same type of work. You may also be entitled to damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and, in wrongful death cases, funeral costs and the loss of financial and emotional support. In cases involving especially reckless conduct, the court may allow punitive damages under the applicable legal standards.
Workers’ Compensation & Third-Party Claims
For workers injured on the job, multiple sources of recovery could be available. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, most private employers in Texas can choose whether to carry workers’ compensation coverage, though some do so voluntarily. An eligible worker may receive medical and income benefits through that system. In some circumstances, the worker may also have a third-party personal injury claim against a company other than the employer.
Potentially responsible parties may include an employer that doesn’t subscribe to workers’ compensation, a general contractor, subcontractor, crane owner or lessor, maintenance provider, manufacturer, designer, supplier, or another third party. Employment status, contracts, site control, insurance, and the cause of the failure affect which claims may be available.
We handle these matters on a contingency basis. Clients don’t pay attorney fees or litigation expenses unless we win a verdict or settlement on their behalf. During a free consultation, we can review the accident, employment relationship, and potentially responsible parties without requiring an upfront legal fee.
After a Houston Crane Accident: Next Steps & Legal Help
Seek medical attention for anyone injured, even if injuries appear minor, and contact emergency services. Report the accident to your employer or site supervisor as required. Medical care should remain the priority before anyone attempts to collect evidence.
Protecting Health & Preserving Evidence
If it’s safe and your condition allows, take photographs or video of the scene, crane, rigging, load, damaged property, and visible hazards. Gather contact information from witnesses and keep copies of incident reports, medical records, work restrictions, bills, and communications about the accident. Don’t make fault statements or accept an initial settlement offer before obtaining case-specific legal guidance.
Important evidence can disappear quickly after a crane accident. Equipment may be moved, repaired, returned to a lessor, or placed back into service. Digital records can be overwritten, while changing site conditions may erase physical evidence. Early investigative work can identify and seek preservation of lift plans, load charts, inspection and maintenance records, training files, contracts, rental documents, weather records, photographs, video, and communications.
Investigating the Cause of a Crane Accident
We investigate whether operator error, mechanical failure, regulatory noncompliance, improper setup, inadequate ground support, maintenance failures, or another cause contributed to the incident. When the case requires technical analysis, we can coordinate with engineers, accident-reconstruction professionals, medical providers, and other qualified professionals. That work helps connect the physical evidence with the decisions made before and during the lift.
Identifying Responsible Parties
We examine the roles of the crane operator, contractor or construction company, manufacturer, subcontractors, and third-party maintenance crews. Crane ownership, lease arrangements, site control, operational authority, equipment defects, and work instructions can affect each party’s responsibility.
Our crane accident lawyers represent construction workers, dockworkers, mariners, bystanders, and families affected by fatal incidents. We handle cases in Houston, across Texas, and nationwide when serious crane and heavy-equipment failures require extensive investigation and trial preparation.
Discuss Your Crane Accident in a Free Consultation
If you’ve been injured or a loved one has been killed in a crane accident, consult with our Houston construction accident lawyer as soon as possible. Multiple parties may be liable for the resulting injuries or death. At Arnold & Itkin, we handle complex crane cases involving construction sites, docks, maritime operations, industrial facilities, and heavy equipment.
We’ve helped dockworkers, mariners, and other workers across the United States after serious incidents. Our No Matter What™ commitment means we prepare to take on difficult cases, major corporate defendants, and the demands of trial while treating every client with dignity and respect.
Call Arnold & Itkin at (888) 493-1629 to get a free consultation. We can explain your options and the next steps that may apply to your case.
