Personal Injury Law

7 DIE IN CRANE ACCIDENT AFTER FALSE REPORT FILED

According to the New York Times, building officials believe it was highly unlikely that a missed inspection resulted in the deaths of 7 people on March 15th, however, Edward J. Marquette, 46, was arrested anyway after he faked a report indicating that he inspected a construction crane on the East Side of Manhattan on March 4th, just 11 days before the crane collapsed killing 7 people. The deaths occurred when workers were ?jumping? the crane, which is the process used to add sections to the tower, making it taller.

Officials believe that the accident occurred when a 6 ton steel collar, being fitted around the crane?s tower, as a part of the bracing operation, broke free-plummeting 18 stories, and shearing off braces in place on the 9th floor. An investigation is ongoing, and in addition to the crane falling two nylon slings that had been holding a collar in place high on the crane also broke.

Patricia Lancaster, New York Buildings Commissioner commented that every crane supposedly inspected by Marquette over the last six months would be re-inspected. Further, the New York Investigations Department will be performing a full review of the Buildings Department?s cranes and derricks division.

Full post as published by New York Injury Talk Blog on April 04, 2008 (boomark / email).