A Brooklyn construction worker lost his life on Thursday in yet another tragic New York crane accident. Â Lungo Oleg, 36, was working to unload steel beams during the construction of a strip mall when he was crushed to death in Hudson Valley, New York.
Oleg was working at the site for Chesakle Enterprises of Easy Jewett. He was operating a knuckle boom crane at the Marshalls Plaza strip mall in Newburgh. The focus of the construction work was to convert a Chinese buffet restaurant to a Home Goods. Like many fatal construction accidents, Oleg was simply doing his job when a malfunction in the equipment proved fatal. Now, the question for investigators is how and why this tragic accident occurred.
Police said that around 3:00 p.m., Oleg was using the crane to remove steel beams from a truck when the crane malfunctioned, and Oleg was fatally pinned.   The Town of Newburgh EMS, the Winona Lake Fire Department, and the Town of Newburgh Police arrived on the scene where Oleg was pronounced dead. Lt. Peter G. Talarico of the Town of Newburgh Police said, “While there appears to be no criminality, OSHA will be assisting police with an ongoing investigation.” The investigation will undoubtedly focus on the crane provided to Oleg to do his job. What caused the malfunction?
Regardless of the reason for this tragedy, a family has senselessly lost a loved one. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who loved Mr. Oleg.
Sadly, an average of 1,000 construction workers are injured each year and OSHA reports that improper maintenance is one of the common causes of fatal crane accidents. A few considerations in an investigation into a crane malfunction accident like this include the OSHA inspection history, the age of the machinery, the training provided to the workers involved, and whether the machine was checked for faults before operation.
How can tragic crane accidents like this be prevented? It is the legal responsibility of employers and general contractors at a construction site to make sure that all vehicles and equipment are in proper working order.  They could be held responsible for this fatal accident if it is determined that they did not follow OSHA regulations for proper equipment maintenance or if they failed to inspect the crane before it was introduced to the jobsite. The objective is to keep workers safe and sometimes routine maintenance and simple inspections of equipment and machines can and will save lives.
Families often do not know how to navigate the aftermath of a fatal construction accident: What can they do to hold the responsible parties accountable for a fatal construction accident?
They should strongly consider consulting with an experienced and seasoned construction accident attorney.  At Block O’Toole & Murphy, we understand the trauma that a fatal construction accident can inflict on a family, and our attorneys have a long history of recovering compensation for our clients to help ease the suffering inflicted by a horrific event such as this.
Notable results for victims of crane accidents include:Â
- $12,000,000 settlement for a construction worker who fell while trying to stabilize a crane basket
- $6,000,000 settlement for a worker who fell 13 feet from inside a crane he was operating, resulting in the need for two spinal surgeries and one hip surgeryÂ
- $3,750,000 settlement for an electrician who needed multiple leg surgeries after he was struck by a 30-foot long falling steel beamÂ
To talk about your case with one of our attorneys today, call 212-736-5300 or fill out our contact form online.Â