In July 2019, a violent windstorm passed through Dallas leaving over 500 residents of the Elan City Lights Complex without access to their homes. What happened? A massive crane collapsed on the building, leaving one dead and five others injured. Thankfully, two of the victims have been released from the hospital. The company responsible for the crane was Bigge Crane and Rigging. Immediately following the accident, the company and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were working on how to safely remove the crane from the destroyed apartment complex and to figure out what exactly happened that made this tragic accident occur.
The History
This is not the first time Bigge Crane and Rigging has been in hot water with OSHA. On another project in Arkansas, OSHA fined the company $56,700 for an accident that resulted in one worker’s death and 8 others to be injured. However, they disputed the findings of OSHA that claimed their crane was unsafe and settled to pay a lower fine. The company has a total of 14 fines in the past decade. That’s over one fine a year.
The Storm
The storm was reported to have winds reaching up to 71 miles per hour. While that seems like a lot, the crane is supposed to withstand much higher wind speeds. Officially, it should have been fine for wind speeds up to 95 mph. It is still unclear what actually caused the accident, but you can stay up to date here.
What Should you do?
If you find yourself in a similar situation, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. After you are checked out and have no life-threatening injuries, contact a personal injury attorney. A lawyer can help you take the next steps. Some other good ideas are to take some photographs of the site where you were injured. This could prove to be vital in your case. Also, make sure you get the information of any witnesses. But most importantly, keep your health in check. If anything unusual is happening, contact a doctor right away. Remember, these construction companies have to follow a set of regulations, and if it turns out they haven’t, and your injury was the product of that negligence, you could be entitled to financial compensation.
Villarreal & Begum: The Texas Law Guns
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction site accident, call Villarreal & Begum as soon as possible. We take every step to thoroughly investigate the accident to identify the liable party and the underlying cause of your injury. If a party is at fault, we can represent you in pursuing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Call us today at (210) 800-0000, or visit our contact form online to schedule your free consultation.
The Villarreal & Begum, LAW GUNS dedicates their time and effort towards helping people in Texas find justice for personal negligence encountered while living their normal, everyday lives.