Crane Accident Attorney in New York

Over $1 Billion Recovered. Trial-Ready for New York Construction Victims.

Sultzer & Lipari represents crane accident victims throughout New York from our Poughkeepsie office. With over $1 billion in recoveries secured across complex civil litigation and more than 100 years of combined attorney experience, we bring the kind of trial-tested firepower that property owners, general contractors, and their insurers take seriously. When you’ve been seriously hurt on a construction site, the other side starts building its defense immediately. We do the same for you.

Crane accident claims are among the most complex in New York construction injury law. Multiple parties share potential liability, insurers deploy experienced defense teams from day one, and the injuries are often catastrophic and permanent. We don’t settle for whatever the first offer says. We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, and we litigate when defendants refuse to offer fair compensation.

If you or a family member was hurt in a crane accident in New York, contact us today for a free, private consultation. Call (800) 552-0265 to speak with our team.

Why Crane Accident Victims Choose Sultzer & Lipari

Crane accident defendants aren’t small players. They’re large general contractors, commercial developers, and equipment manufacturers backed by experienced defense counsel and well-funded insurers. Going up against them requires attorneys who understand how the other side thinks, because they’ve been there.

Our attorneys have litigated high-stakes disputes in nearly every state, including New York, and our record includes strong trial and settlement results. That record includes a $30 million product liability verdict. Our firm is named among America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators (2019), holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and appears in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers for both 2021 and 2026. The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the American Institute of Trial Lawyers have also recognized our work.

Our experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes civil litigation gives us direct insight into the tactics insurers and defense counsel use to undervalue crane accident claims. We know the playbook, and we build cases that resist it.

Common Causes of Crane Accidents in New York

Understanding how a crane accident happened is the first step toward establishing who is responsible. Investigations typically examine operator training records, maintenance logs, site safety plans, and inspection certifications to trace the chain of negligence.

The most common causes we see include:

• Operator error and inadequate training: Federal OSHA regulations under 29 CFR Part 1926 Subpart CC require crane operators to be trained, certified, and evaluated for the specific crane type they operate. Violations of these requirements can support liability claims.
• Mechanical failure and deferred maintenance: Cranes that haven’t been properly serviced can fail without warning, regardless of how experienced the operator is.
• Improper setup on unstable ground: Tower cranes, mobile cranes, crawler cranes, and boom trucks each require specific ground conditions and rigging standards. Shortcuts create collapse risk.
• Overloading beyond rated capacity: Exceeding a crane’s load limit is a preventable cause of catastrophic failure that may point to the contractor or operator.
• Contact with overhead power lines: A recurring hazard on urban New York construction sites where site planning failed to account for energized lines.
• Miscommunication among crew members: Absent or inadequate signaling protocols can turn routine lifts into fatal accidents.

Injuries Crane Accidents Cause

There is no minor crane accident. The forces involved mean that workers and bystanders in the path of a crane collapse or falling load face traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries leading to partial or complete paralysis, crush injuries, amputations, severe burns, and death. Survivors often face multiple surgeries, extended hospitalization, and years of physical rehabilitation.

Many victims can’t return to the work they did before. That means the damages in a crane accident case extend well beyond initial medical bills: lost earning capacity, long-term care costs, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and loss of enjoyment of life are all part of what we work to recover. Wrongful death claims may also recover economic losses and damages on behalf of surviving family members.

New York Labor Law Protections for Crane Accident Victims

New York has two statutes that make crane accident claims more powerful here than in nearly any other state. New York Labor Law Section 240(1), known as the Scaffold Law, imposes strict liability on property owners and general contractors for gravity-related accidents, including crane collapses and falling loads. A worker’s own contributory negligence doesn’t reduce the owner’s or contractor’s responsibility. Labor Law Section 241(6) creates additional liability when defendants violate the New York Industrial Code, which governs crane setup, operation, and inspection in specific detail.

These protections apply even when a worker has accepted workers’ compensation benefits. Receiving workers’ comp doesn’t close the door on a third-party personal injury claim against the property owner, general contractor, equipment manufacturer, or any other party whose negligence contributed to the accident. Pursuing both avenues may be an important way to seek recovery for the full scope of a victim’s losses.

Compensation in a New York Crane Accident Case

What a crane accident victim may recover depends on the facts of the case, but the categories of damages can be substantial. Insurers routinely offer early settlements covering only immediate bills and a few weeks of lost income. Accepting that offer may mean leaving long-term losses on the table.

Potentially recoverable damages include:

• Medical expenses and future care costs
• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Permanent disability and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Building a complete damages picture requires expert witnesses: medical specialists to document long-term care needs, economists to calculate lost earning capacity, and life-care planners to project future costs. That’s the foundation of a demand the other side has to take seriously, and it’s the work we do before we ever sit down to negotiate.

Talk to a New York Crane Accident Attorney Today

Crane accident cases move quickly on the defense side. Evidence gets lost, witnesses become unavailable, and insurers begin shaping the narrative before injured workers have had a chance to speak with an attorney. The sooner we get involved, the stronger the foundation we can build.

Sultzer & Lipari offers a free, private consultation for crane accident victims and their families throughout New York. There’s no obligation, and what you tell us stays confidential. Call us at (800) 552-0265 to get started.