Crane Accidents in Traverse City

More Than 45 Years of Combined Experience for Your Crane Injury Claim

Falling or swinging loads, collapses, tip-overs, rigging failures, and power-line contact can cause devastating injuries. Workers and bystanders may face extensive medical treatment, interrupted income, and uncertainty about who is responsible while several companies and insurers investigate the same incident.

We handle both personal injury and workers’ compensation matters, so we can evaluate the separate claim paths that may follow a worksite incident. Responsibility may depend on who controlled the site, selected and maintained the equipment, planned the lift, secured the load, or directed the work. Equipment condition, load information, witness accounts, incident reports, and employer documentation can all shape that review.

Call (888) 224-1239 to discuss what happened with our legal team during a free initial consultation.

Who May Have a Claim After a Crane Accident

Crane operators aren’t the only people at risk. Riggers, signal persons, laborers, and workers in nearby trades may be struck by equipment or suspended loads, caught between objects, or injured during a collapse. Subcontractor employees, independent contractors, pedestrians, and site visitors may also be harmed.

These incidents can cause traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, crush injuries, severe burns, fractures, amputations, and internal trauma. A traumatic brain injury or other catastrophic harm may require long-term treatment and prevent someone from returning to the same work.

When an accident is fatal, surviving family members may need guidance about death benefits and a potential wrongful death claim. The available options depend on the person’s employment relationship, the accident location, and whether another company or individual contributed to the incident.

Workers’ Compensation & Third-Party Claims in Michigan

Michigan workers’ compensation may provide specified medical, wage-loss, rehabilitation, and death-related benefits for a covered work injury. It generally serves as the exclusive remedy against an injured worker’s direct employer, so an employee ordinarily can’t pursue a standard negligence lawsuit against that employer. These benefits and procedures differ from those involved in a personal injury case.

A third-party claim is brought against someone other than the direct employer whose conduct or product may have contributed to the accident. Depending on the facts, that party could be a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, crane owner, equipment manufacturer, maintenance provider, or another entity involved in the lift. Not every workplace injury supports such a claim, but the possibility should be evaluated when multiple businesses controlled the equipment or jobsite.

When a fatality occurs, a wrongful death case may involve different parties, evidence, and damages from a claim for employment-related death benefits. Our attorneys examine these paths separately while considering how they may affect one another.

Workers should notify their employers promptly after an injury. Michigan generally requires notice within 90 days, and an injured employee may have up to two years to file a claim for benefits. Exceptions and other legal deadlines may apply, so it is important to obtain a fact-specific review rather than rely on a general timeframe.

Determining Liability Through Construction-Site Evidence

Evaluating what happened requires more than identifying the person operating the controls. Common hazards include power-line contact, workers being caught in or struck by equipment, unsafe work practices, and tip-overs. A legal review may also examine whether the crane, load, ground conditions, and surrounding work area were suitable for the planned operation.

Liability questions may involve:

• Site control and coordination among contractors
• Crane selection, load capacity, and lift planning
• Ground conditions, outriggers, and stabilization
• Operator qualifications and signal communication
• Rigging selection and suspended-load practices
• Inspection, maintenance, and equipment defects
• Power-line clearance and jobsite safety procedures

Relevant evidence may include lift plans and jobsite communications; inspection, maintenance, and training records; and photographs, video, or witness statements. Subcontractor agreements may clarify which company controlled specific work, while medical records and wage information document the effects of the injury.

Equipment may be moved, repaired, or returned to service, and site conditions can change as construction continues. Early legal involvement can identify records and physical evidence that should be requested before they become more difficult to obtain.

How Our Crane Accident Attorneys Prepare Complex Claims

Our attorneys assess how third-party negligence, product liability, premises liability, insurance coverage, and employment benefits may intersect. We have more than 45 years of combined personal injury experience and have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts for clients. Past results don’t guarantee the outcome of a new case, but they reflect our history of handling serious injury claims.

A Traverse City crane accident lawyer from our firm can examine who controlled the work, which companies had safety responsibilities, and whether defective equipment played a role. We remain personally involved and prepare each case with litigation in mind. If a settlement offer doesn’t fairly account for losses supported by the evidence, we’re willing to take the case to court.

From our Traverse City and Ludington offices, we represent injured workers, bystanders, and families throughout Northern and Western Michigan.

Discuss Your Crane Injury Claim With Our Team

Contact us for a fact-specific review of the accident, potential claim paths, available evidence, and next steps. We’re available 24/7 for injury inquiries, and the initial consultation is free. We handle these cases on a contingency-fee basis, so clients don’t pay legal fees unless we recover compensation for them.

Call (888) 224-1239 to speak with Miller Embury PLLC about your legal options.