Negligence
Crane Accidents Continue Around U.S., New Safety Rules Needed
This year has been a tragic one for the crane industry. The most recent accident to gain national attention was
the collapse of an enormous mobile crane at an oil refinery in Houston, Texas. Four workers were killed when the crane, with a 400 foot boom, toppled, taking another crane down as it fell. This news follows two dramatic crane accidents in New York City, both of which involved fatalities, and which exposed corruption in the inspection unit responsible for crane safety. Other recent crane accidents have taken lives in Las Vegas, Miami, and Oklahoma City.
Amazingly, only fifteen states (Massachusetts is among them) require crane operators to be certified or
licensed. But even licensing of crane operators is insufficient when general contractors fail to recognize and warn of inadequate site conditions, or when other workers ignore basic safety rules.
With eighty people dying each year in crane accidents, it is long past time for the federal government to act.
Sadly, the NY Times reports today, rules to strengthen OSHA regulations to reduce the likelihood of a crane accident sit mired in red tape. The building industry and labor both want better rules, but the administration won’t act.
The new safety rules should be enacted promptly to protect workers and the public from avoidable tragedies
caused by crane accidents.
The attorneys at Breakstone, White& Gluck, P.C. have handled a number of crane accident and other construction site accident cases, and have an excellent understanding of crane operations as well the rules and regulations governing construction sites. If you or someone you know has been injured in a construction accident, we would be pleased to provide a free consultation regarding your case. You can read more hiring a
lawyer for construction accidents on our construction and crane accident page.
Resources:
Massachusetts Crane Accident Case Report
Long Overdue Crane Safety, NY Times, August 2, 2008
Crane Accident at Houston Refinery, NY Times, July 19, 2008
MBTA D-Line Trolley Cars Collide in Newton, MA; Several Injuries and One Death Reported
UPDATE: Breakstone, White & Gluck will be representing the most seriously injured passenger from this accident. Please check our news page for more information on the suit filed for this MBTA accident case.
ORIGINAL BLOG: A serious crash involving two MBTA D Line trolleys on May 28th has left the
operator of the second train dead, and dozens of passengers injured and hospitalized. The accident happened as the commuter trains were approaching the Woodland Station in Newton. The first two-car trolley was stopped at a red signal when it was rear-ended by the second two-car train.
Both Green Line trains were packed with evening rush-hour commuters, heading home at about 6:00 PM. Passengers were thrown to the floor. Several were treated on a nearby golf course; several were taken by ambulance to area hospitals with serious injuries; one was taken by MedFlight to the trauma center at Boston Medical Center. Many other passengers found their way to hospitals on their own.
Both of the smashed MBTA trains were derailed by the impact. Reports indicate that some passengers were thrown as much as 20 feet inside the cars.
Read More
Serious MBTA Commuter Rail Accident on Stoughton Line Injures 150 Passengers
UPDATE (4/18/08): The MBTA has filed suit against CSX Transportation and Cohenno lumber company of Stoughton, Massachusetts. The suit alleges that the runaway freight car did not have its hand brakes set, that chocks were not in place, that lumber yard were moving the car improperly, and that the derailing devices were not properly used on the tracks. As a result, the fully loaded freight car, weighing approximately
112 tons, left the yard and traveled approximately three miles before striking the commuter train with hundreds aboard. The accident injured around 150 passengers.
The MBTA claims that the crash as cost it over $1 million in property damage and overtime expenses. Passengers who suffered personal injuries are not part of this case.
MORE:
Boston Globe April 18, 2008
ORIGINAL BLOG: It looks like an alert train engineer acted quickly and helped reduce what could have been an even more serious accident on the MBTA Stoughton commuter rail line on March 25th. According to news reports, the evening commuter train was outbound from Boston with approximately 600 passengers. A track signal warned that a car was on the tracks ahead, and the engineer was able to stop the train. However, he was not able to avoid the collision with the runaway freight car which hit the engine head-on.
At least 150 people were injured in the train accident. It has been reported that the injuries were not serious, except for the engineer. Standing passengers were thrown to the floor. Cuts from
head injuries were common, people suffered broken noses, facial cuts, twisted ankles, neck injuries, and back injuries. Passengers were dazed from the impact. Area ambulance crews and local emergency rooms were overwhelmed.
The cause of the accident appears to be a runaway freight car loaded with lumber. News reports indicate that the freight car was parked at a lumber yard. It apparently rolled from the yard, and
had sufficient momentum to roll for miles down the track before colliding with the train.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, but this much is known. When a freight car is left at a customer yard on a track spur or siding, it needs to be parked and secured properly.
Three things are required: the hand brakes must be set, the wheels must be block (or “chocked”), and a derailing device must be placed to prevent the car from leaving the yard. Somehow, despite these safety requirements, the heavy freight car did enter the main train line and cause the crash.
If the MBTA commuter rail train had not stopped before the crash, the accident would have been much more severe.As it was, the commuters reported that it felt like the train had “hit a wall.”
News Stories
Freight car rams commuter train, injuring 150, Boston Globe, March 26, 2008
Scores injured in Canton commuter rail crash, Boston Herald, March 26, 2006
If you need a lawyer to handle your MBTA train accident case, please contact us toll free at 1-800-379-1244, or use the contact form on this page. The lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck have decades of experience in handling passenger accident cases. For more information
on choosing a train accident attorney, visit our page on Personal Injuries Caused by Train Accidents.
Several Recent Truck Accidents in Massachusetts
A series of tractor-trailer accidents in Massachusetts reminds us of just how serious truck accidents can be. The latest, on March 20th, caused injuries to the driver himself and another motorist. For thousands of others it was traffic-snarling nightmare, when the tractor-trailer carrying paint flipped on the Mass Turnpike during the morning commute. Rush hour traffic was backed up for ten miles.
Other recent crashes have been much more serious. On March 17th, a college student was killed when he was struck while crossing the street in a crosswalk in Cambridge after he was hit by a tractor-trailer. News reports indicate that the truck was operated by Shaws supermarkets. In Massachusetts, under G.L. c.89, Sec. 11, pedestrians have the right of way when crossing in a crosswalk.
The most spectacular crash, thankfully one that only caused property damage and not injury, occurred in Everett in the early morning hours of December 6, 2007, when a loaded fuel tanker rolled over in a rotary. The contents spilled and ignited, then flowed down the street setting cars and homes on fires. Dozens of cars were destroyed, along with several buildings. Thirteen families were left homeless, and a hundred elderly residents were evacuated from their homes. The area “looked like a war zone.”
Defensive driving techniques are one way you can help avoid injury to yourself. A common winter hazard is the collection of ice and snow on the top trucks traveling on the highways. These accumulations can become missiles when they lift off at high speeds, easily crashing through windshields causing serious physical injuries and head injuries. Report any such violations to the police. Watch out for loads that might shift or which are loose, and do not follow loaded trucks closely. Remember, trucks have large turning and long stopping distances, and can weigh over fifty tons.
For more information, visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration safety website.
If you need a lawyer to handle your truck accident case, please contact us toll free at 1-800-379-1244, or use the contact form on this page. For more information on choosing a truck accident attorney, visit our page on Hiring a Lawyer for Personal Injuries Caused by Trucking Accidents.