A large crane at a construction site in St. Petersburg collapsed on Thursday, April 5, nearly crushing several workers below it. Miraculously, no one was injured in the accident.
The incident was caught on camera through surveillance footage made public by the St. Petersburg Police Department. As the crane tips over, several workers sprint away, with the crane narrowly missing at least eight of them.
The construction site, which is the new headquarters for the police department, also did not suffer significant damage — but the crane itself did. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the crane held a scissor lift that weighed approximately a half-ton. An operator inside the crane limped away with minor injuries after the collapse.
Crane collapses can be deadly
There are countless examples of deadly crane accidents happening at construction sites across the country. Although the cause of this most recent collapse was unclear, in general, cranes can fail due to operator error, lack of training, improper weight on the crane, heavy winds or equipment defects.
Workers injured in crane collapses likely have two options: file for worker’s compensation or file a personal injury claim. The latter is only available if there was an element of negligence involved in the accident. One does not need to prove negligence or fault in a worker’s compensation claim. In fact, you could have been the cause of your own injuries and still be eligible to receive worker’s comp benefits.
For further information on the steps to take if you have been injured in a construction or workplace accident, meet with a knowledgeable Bradenton personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.