A man has filed an injury at work lawsuit after he was allegedly hit by the outrigger of a crane.

Plaintiff Brian B. says that around Aug. 21, 2017, he was employed by Commercial Contracting Corporation and was working on a construction job at a General Motors plant in Roanoke, Ind.

GM allegedly “participated in coordinating the work being done and designated various work methods, maintained and checked work progress and participated in the scheduling of the work and the inspection of the work.”

Brian alleges that he was struck by the outrigger of a crane while he was present at the construction site where construction, repairs, alterations, and painting were underway.

He claims GM was negligent because the crane was allowed to be used in an unsafe manner. As a result of being hit by the crane, Brian suffered severe external and internal injuries and had to have his left leg amputated below the knee.

Brian is seeking compensation for pain and anguish of both mind and body, in addition to money for medical care and services.

Injury at Work Lawsuit Faults GM

According to Brian’s injury at work lawsuit, GM allegedly was responsible for committing one or more careless and negligent maneuvers:

• Failed to inspect the site and the work being done on the construction site despite knowing a reasonable inspection was required to prevent Brian’s injuries;
• Failed to properly manage and control the premises to prevent injury to Brian;
• Failed to provide Brian with a safe place to work;
• Failed to appropriately plan, schedule or coordinate the work;
• Enabled the crane’s placement in an unsafe manner that it allowed it to strike Brian;
• Failed to allow adequate room for Brian and other workers to safely perform their jobs;
• Allowed the crane to be used in an unsafe manner that allowed Brian to be struck by it;
• Failed to provide sufficient protection and/or isolate the crane’s area, which led to dangerous working conditions.

A crane is a dangerous, heavy piece of equipment that is complex to assemble. After assembly, a crane operator must be careful not to pick up a load that’s too heavy or the crane could tip over. The uneven ground also may lead to a crane becoming tipsy. A crane’s dangers can include dropping a load on top of workers or hitting a worker who is within the crane’s swing radius.

According to the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), 323 construction workers died in crane accidents between 1992 and 2006. Of those, 32 percent were caused by electrocution due to contact with overhead power lines, 21 percent were due to cranes collapsing, and 18 percent were caused by a crane boom striking a construction worker.

The Injury at Work Lawsuit is Case No. 1:19-cv-00729in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.