April 17, 2024

What to Do After a Heavy Equipment Accident in New York?

Posted in Construction Accidents

Heavy machinery is standard on New York City work sites. When handled properly, this equipment can make hard jobs easier. However, negligent or reckless behavior could result in injuries or, in extreme cases, even death.

Knowing how to handle industrial machine accidents can protect you and help support a personal injury claim. Here’s more about heavy equipment accidents in the Big Apple.

The Dangers of Heavy Machinery in New York

Different jobs call for different tools and equipment. So, you may encounter a variety of machines while working construction jobs.

Examples of heavy machinery common on construction sites include:

• Cranes
• Loaders
• Excavators
• Bulldozers
• Backhoes
• Forklifts
• Front-loaders
• Cement Mixers
• Backhoes
• Compactors
• Dump Trucks

What Accidents Involve Heavy Equipment?

Using heavy machinery is not without risks. Industrial machines can block views, be loaded unsafely, or operated recklessly. Negligent behavior involving large machinery can lead to catastrophic accidents, such as:

• Caught-in-Between: victims could be pinned by large machines if drivers aren’t careful of their vehicle’s blind spots.
• Falling Objects: machines like cranes could drop items from great heights with little warning to those below.
• Collisions: drivers who don’t signal their movements or don’t follow proper pathing can easily hit or collide with workers walking near their vehicle.
• Rollovers: large machines have high centers of gravity, and a worksite’s uneven terrain could lead to a rollover onto other workers.

Steps After a New York Heavy Equipment Accident

While it’s vital to be vigilant on a construction site, accidents with heavy machinery can happen despite precautions. If an accident occurs, your primary concern should be your health and safety.

Once you are out of immediate danger, here are some steps you can take to handle matters and ensure a proper recovery.

1. Prioritize Your Health

Emergency workers may have been called if your accident is severe enough, like a crane falling. They will likely treat or transport you at the scene if your injuries are bad enough. However, even if injuries seem minor, underlying issues may not be immediately apparent.

Staying calm and seeking medical attention as soon as possible is imperative to ensure your health is not at further risk.

2. Don’t Make Things Worse

If you’re hurt in a heavy machinery accident, you should do your best to stay calm. You mustn’t move recklessly, as this could exacerbate potential injuries.

Allow your colleagues to provide support and ensure that emergency services are contacted to give you a professional medical evaluation.

4. Collect Evidence & Document Care

You may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim for your injuries, but if the situation is severe enough, you may file a third-party liability claim. You need evidence to prove negligence to have the best chance at recovering compensation.

This includes obtaining photos of your injuries, copies of medical reports, witness statements, and records of any treatments received, as they will be important if you pursue legal action.

5. Contact a Construction Accident Lawyer

An attorney can help you fight for the compensation you’re entitled to, so calling one as soon as possible is critical. A heavy equipment accident could leave you with extreme injuries, which could block your ability to work.

Workers’ compensation could be beneficial, but a third-party liability claim will give you more comprehensive coverage for your losses, including pain and suffering. Your New York construction accident attorney can investigate your accident, build your claim, and support you in court and with the insurance companies.

Heavy Equipment Accident FAQs

What Kind of Injuries Can Heavy Machinery Cause?

Injuries caused by heavy equipment accidents can include crushed bones, fractures, head injuries, disfigurement, dismemberment, concussions, lacerations, paralysis, burns, electrocutions, or internal organ failure.

What Compensation is Available in a Heavy Equipment Accident Claim?

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence and heavy equipment, you should have a case for your economic and non-economic losses.

That means you can pursue a claim for your current and future medical bills, lost wages, damaged property, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium.

Who Can Be Liable in a Heavy Machinery Accident?

On New York construction sites, the contractor and property manager are the liable parties you can most likely sue. However, it could be possible that the equipment operator was especially negligent, which led to your accident.

That could make them liable. Some accidents with equipment happen because of faults or defects, meaning you could have a case for a defective product so that the manufacturer could be liable.

Why Should I Call a New York Construction Accident Lawyer?

A New York City construction accident lawyer will know the city and state regulations that would dictate what kind of compensation you can pursue. They’ll find witnesses, identify liable parties, talk to expert witnesses to support your case and represent you in court.

Your attorney will also be working for you, fighting for the compensation you deserve after an accident.

Contact HKD for Help with Heavy Machine Injuries

If you’ve been hurt in an accident involving heavy equipment, you need help pursuing the compensation you deserve for the losses caused by someone else’s negligence. The construction accident lawyers with Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek, P.C., are prepared to hear your story and help you fight for your claim. We’ve helped clients recover hundreds of millions for their losses.

Let us help you with your claim. We offer free consultations, and you won’t owe us anything unless you win a settlement. Call (212) 490-5700 or use our online form to contact us today.