Fear rippled through the construction workers at the World Trade Center construction site when a crane cable snapped and thousands of pounds of steel flew down 40 stories onto a flatbed truck. It almost crushed the crane operator to death, but miraculously he was left unhurt.
The entire building shook and there was chaos as the workers ran around trying to see what happened, and if they could help. Some had flashbacks to the Sept. 11 terror attacks. One worker was checked out by medical workers and released.
The truck the steel landed on was flattened to a pancake. The workers estimate the steel weighed between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds.
After the accident, the site was closed down as investigators with the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration began an investigation. It is not clear when construction will resume.
The site is slated to rise to 72 stories. The WTC site’s cranes are inspected every day. But there have been other faulty crane issues in the past. In April 2009, city inspectors discovered a tower crane was not being erected according to plan. Then in October 2010, a crane cable wire was rubbing against a bolt and a new cable had to be installed.
Since the year 2000 there have been over 1125 tower crane accidents worldwide that have resulted in over 780 deaths and countless injuries. If you or your loved one has been harmed by a construction accident, contact Crower Arnold & Majors, LLP today to get the justice you deserve.
