Because it attracted the notice of the national news media, a crane accident which left four people, including a young college student and two construction workers, dead may have come to the attention of Kansas City residents.
This national tragedy, which happened in a city in another state, still should hit home for Kansas City residents and those who live in the surrounding suburbs in Missouri and Kansas. After all, this area also sees new construction buildings arise from time to time, and this almost inevitably will involve the use of cranes.
No one knows for certain why this recent crane accident happened, and this information may not be available for months. What is known is that as blustery winds moved in, a crane that was being taken down broke apart and collapsed with the workers in it. Some of the crane damaged a building under construction, while another part tumbled on to a busy intersection.
However, some people are saying that those in charge of disassembling the crane may have made a key mistake when doing so. Specifically, workers may have removed several safety pins from the crane prematurely, making the structure unstable. Typically, the crane’s instructions will call for the gradual removal of these safety devices.
Currently, five different companies involved in the construction project are under a regulatory investigation. Some have pointed out, though, that while those who operate cranes have to follow detailed rules and regulations, those who are supposed to assemble and break down the machines are much less regulated.
The legal lessons here, which apply to Kansas City residents, are that members of the public, and possibly even injured workers, may get hurt due to the errors of a number of different people and businesses. Such victims have legal options, including the option to file a personal injury cause of action.
