Insurance Matters

Mobile crane performing rooftop HVAC lift with engineered rigging configuration

What Really Caused the Crane Incident?

When a crane accident happens, everyone asks the same question.

What caused it?

Insurance companies need the real answer.

Not guesses.

Not finger pointing.

Just the truth.

Crane incidents can involve serious injuries, major property damage, and large insurance claims. Before anyone can decide who is responsible, one thing must be understood:

Tower crane and mobile crane coordinating lifts during large commercial building construction proje

What actually happened on the jobsite.

That is where independent crane analysis helps.

With more than 35 years working with cranes, I evaluate incidents from the perspective of someone who has actually:

• Operated cranes

• Planned lifts

• Transported cranes

• Worked on busy construction sites

• Dealt with real lift problems in real time

Not theory.

REAL CRANE WORK

Mobile crane performing telecommunications tower erection lift during infrastructure construction.

Sometimes the Cause Is Obvious

Most of the time it isn’t

Crane incidents rarely have just one cause.

Most are a chain of small problems that build into one big one.

Examples may include:

• Soft ground under outriggers

• Poor cribbing or matting

• Wrong crane configuration

• Load chart mistakes

• Rigging capacity problems

• Lift planning errors

• Miscommunication between crew members

• Congested jobsite conditions

• Weather changes during the lift

Each factor matters.

But the real question is:

Mobile crane performing rooftop lift at commercial building during construction.

Which one actually caused the incident?

The Goal Is Simple

Figure out:

What happened

Why it happened

Whether it could have been prevented

That information helps insurance companies evaluate claims fairly and accurately.

Insurance Matters Commonly Reviewed

Insurance carriers and claims professionals request technical evaluation for events such as:

• Crane tip-overs

• Crane collapses

• Dropped loads

• Rigging failures

• Contact with buildings or powerlines

• Equipment damage claims

• Property damage incidents

• Serious injury cases

Many of these claims involve large financial exposure and complicated technical questions.

Clear crane analysis helps bring clarity to the situation.

What Gets Reviewed

A causation review may include evaluation of:

• Incident reports

• Witness statements

• Lift plans

• Crane load charts

• Rigging methods and capacity

• Ground support conditions

• Cribbing and outrigger setup

• Weather conditions

• Site layout and congestion

• Equipment condition and inspection records

The focus is always the same.

Understand the real conditions at the time of the lift.

Crane operations follow established safety and engineering guidance, including:

OSHA regulations
ANSI safety standards
ASME B30 crane standards
Manufacturer operating manuals
Accepted crane industry practices

These standards help determine whether the work was performed within accepted industry practices.

Why Real Crane Experience Matters:

Crane accidents don’t happen in laboratories.
They happen on active construction sites.
The ground may be uneven.
The weather changes.
Schedules get tight.
Trades crowd the job site.
Operators and crews make decisions in real time.

Understanding those conditions requires actual field experience with cranes.

That perspective matters when determining what caused an incident.

Independent Crane Causation Analysis

Services may include:

Crane accident causation analysis
Insurance claim evaluation
Lift planning review
Rigging configuration analysis
Ground support and outrigger evaluation
Equipment failure analysis
Standard of care evaluation
Expert reporting and testimony

Each matter is reviewed using available evidence, applicable standards, and real-world crane operations experience.

Who Uses These Services

Independent crane analysis is commonly requested by:

Insurance carriers
Claims adjusters
Subrogation investigators
Construction litigation attorneys
Risk management professionals

Services are available nationwide.