Tennessee Crane Accident Lawyer

Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette represents injured workers, bystanders, drivers, and grieving families across Tennessee, from Knox County and Sevier County to Anderson County and well beyond. When a tower crane drops a load, a mobile crane tips, or a boom strikes a power line, our firm’s job is to find out exactly why it happened and who answers for it. For someone searching for a Tennessee crane accident lawyer, that question is rarely simple.

Crane failures almost never have a single cause. A load chart gets ignored, outrigger pads are set on soft ground, a rigger signals the wrong move, a wire rope is worn past its limit, or a operator is certified on paper but untrained on that machine. Each of those failures points to a different party: the crane owner, the rental company, the general contractor, the subcontractor, the manufacturer, or the property owner who let the work proceed. Sorting that out early matters, because the evidence that proves it is controlled by the very companies that may be at fault.

The injuries are rarely minor. Falling loads and collapsing booms cause crushing injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and deaths. Many of the people hurt are workers, which brings a second legal track into play, and our firm handles that track with particular care.

Crane Accident Situations We Handle

• Mobile and Truck-Mounted Crane Tip-Overs: These often trace back to unstable ground, improperly extended outriggers, overloading beyond the load chart, or working on a grade. Construction sites across Knox County and the Sevier County resort corridor, where steep lots and rapid building are common, can create exactly these conditions.
• Tower Crane Failures: Assembly errors, bolt and mast defects, wind exposure, and poor inspection can bring down a tower crane. Because these machines serve large commercial and multi-story projects, several contractors may share responsibility.
• Dropped and Swinging Loads: Failed rigging, damaged slings, bad hitch points, and miscommunication between operator and signal person send loads onto workers and passers-by below.
• Power Line Contact: Booms that touch or arc to energized lines can electrocute workers and anyone touching the machine. Planning, spotters, and clearance distances are the focus of these cases.
• Crane Collapses on Roadways and Public Property: Motorists and pedestrians near a work zone can be struck when a boom falls or a load swings into traffic. These injured people have no workers’ compensation claim and can pursue the responsible companies directly.
• Equipment Defects: Faulty brakes, failed limit switches, defective load moment indicators, and flawed wire rope can support a product liability claim against a manufacturer or component maker.
• Operator Error and Training Failures: Uncertified or fatigued operators, and companies that skipped required training or supervision, can be held accountable under Tennessee negligence law.
• Wrongful Death from Crane Accidents: When a crane kills a worker or bystander, surviving family members may pursue the full range of losses, including lost income, medical and funeral costs, and the value of the life lost.

Why Clients Choose Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for Crane Injury Cases

Clients work with real lawyers from the first call. We meet people where they are, including at home or in the hospital when injuries make travel impossible, and the consultation costs nothing. We take personal injury cases on a contingency basis, so there are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Spanish-speaking clients can work directly with Michael C. Beehan, a trial attorney who is fluent in Spanish, and the firm speaks to clients in their own language: hablamos español.

Crane cases reward lawyers who understand how the other side thinks. Two of our partners spent the early part of their careers defending insurance companies, trucking companies, and businesses, so they know how these claims get evaluated, minimized, and fought. Across the firm, our attorneys bring more than 170 years of combined experience, and we have recovered over $100 million for clients.

Several results speak to the kind of work crane cases demand. We secured $1.5 million for a Knox County roofer who suffered a traumatic brain injury when his safety harness failed, a case built on equipment and safety failures much like those in crane litigation. We recovered $3.4 million for the family of a man killed in a Morgan County collision caused by a construction company driver. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, but they show we take on construction-related defendants and win.

Bruce D. Fox, co-founder, has tried more than 125 jury trials, is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and received the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He also served on the Tennessee Advisory Council on Workers’ Compensation from 2008 to 2021, which gives him a deep understanding of how injured workers’ claims interact with outside lawsuits. Partner Brad C. Burnette holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and serves on the TTLA Board of Governors, and partner John Willis also serves on that board. Our attorneys are regularly voted among Knoxville’s Top Attorneys by CityView Magazine.

Workers, Bystanders, and the Third-Party Claim

The legal path depends on who you were when the crane failed. If you were an employee hurt on the job, Tennessee workers’ compensation is generally your only remedy against your own employer. That system pays medical care and partial wage benefits, but it does not pay for pain and suffering and does not reflect the full value of a lost career.

That is why our workplace injury practice centers on third-party claims, which are lawsuits against someone other than your employer. On a crane accident, that could be the crane rental company that sent a poorly maintained machine, the general contractor who controlled the site, another subcontractor whose crew caused the failure, the owner of the property, or the manufacturer whose defective component gave way. A third-party claim can recover damages workers’ compensation never touches, including pain and suffering and the full measure of lost earning capacity. For someone left permanently unable to work, the difference can be enormous.

Coordination matters. The employer or its workers’ compensation insurer generally has a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery for benefits it already paid, so the two tracks have to be managed together from the beginning. If you were not a worker at all, such as a driver, pedestrian, or neighbor near the site, your claim runs through ordinary negligence law against every company that contributed.

Tennessee uses modified comparative fault. You can recover if you are found less than 50 percent at fault, and your award is reduced by your share. At 50 percent or more, the claim is barred. Fault can also be assigned to parties who are not in the lawsuit, and joint and several liability has been abolished in most negligence cases, so each defendant generally pays only its own share. This makes it important to name and prove the role of every responsible company rather than rely on one deep pocket.

On damages, economic losses such as medical bills and lost income are not capped in Tennessee. Noneconomic damages, meaning pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, are generally limited to $750,000, rising to $1 million for a defined catastrophic loss, such as a spinal cord injury causing paraplegia or quadriplegia, amputation of two hands, two feet, or one of each, or the wrongful death of a parent with minor children. The court applies these limits after the verdict, and the jury is not told about them. The cap does not apply in certain circumstances, such as when a defendant destroyed evidence or was intoxicated, which is one more reason early evidence preservation matters.

What to Do After a Crane Accident

Get medical care first, and tell every provider exactly how you were hurt. Crane injuries often involve internal trauma and head injuries that do not show up right away. Keep every record, bill, and instruction from your doctors.

Then move on the evidence, because it disappears quickly. Operator logs, inspection and maintenance records, load charts, rigging records, training and certification files, site safety plans, daily reports, and the machine’s own electronic data can be altered, repaired, or lost once a site reopens. The crane itself may be dismantled or sent back to a rental yard. Contact a lawyer promptly so preservation demands go out to every company involved. If you can safely do so, or if a coworker or family member can, photograph the scene, the equipment, the ground conditions, and any visible injuries, and write down the names of witnesses.

Report a workplace injury to your employer right away so your workers’ compensation claim is not jeopardized, but be careful about giving recorded statements to any insurance adjuster before speaking with counsel. Adjusters for rental companies, contractors, and manufacturers gather statements to build comparative fault arguments against you. Do not sign releases or accept quick offers.

The deadline is short. Most Tennessee personal injury claims must be filed within one year of the injury, which is among the shortest filing periods in the country, and the clock runs from the date of injury, not from when you finish treatment. Wrongful death claims follow the same one-year period, which also runs from the date of the injury that led to the death rather than the date of death. The period can extend to two years if criminal charges are brought against the person who caused the injury and the prosecution begins within one year, but you should never plan around that. If a government entity is involved, a claim under the Governmental Tort Liability Act must be filed within 12 months, and damages against governmental entities are capped. A person who is under 18 at the time of injury generally has the clock tolled until age 18. Property damage claims have a separate three-year period.

Cases from Knox County are typically filed in Knox County Circuit Court in Knoxville, the trial court of general jurisdiction for the Sixth Judicial District. Other East Tennessee counties have their own circuit courts. Where the parties are from different states, such as an out-of-state crane company or manufacturer, a case may belong in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, which sits in Knoxville for the Northern Division and covers counties including Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Sevier, and Roane.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tennessee Crane Accident Claims

Can I sue my employer if a crane injured me at work?

Generally not. Workers’ compensation is usually the only remedy against your own employer. However, you may have a third-party claim against a different company, such as the crane owner, a subcontractor, the property owner, or a manufacturer.

How long do I have to file a crane accident lawsuit in Tennessee?

Most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within one year of the injury. A wrongful death claim uses the same one-year period, counted from the date of the injury. Claims against governmental entities must be filed within 12 months. Waiting even a few months can make it harder to preserve key evidence.

Who can be held responsible for a crane accident?

Possible defendants include the crane owner or operator, a rental or leasing company, the general contractor, subcontractors, the property owner, an inspection or maintenance contractor, and the manufacturer of the crane or a defective part. Each may bear a share of fault.

What if I was partly at fault for the accident?

You can still recover if you are less than 50 percent at fault, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage. At 50 percent or more, the claim is barred. Insurers often try to shift blame to injured workers, which is why independent investigation of equipment and site conditions matters.

What compensation is available after a crane accident?

Economic damages include medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages, and lost earning capacity, and Tennessee does not cap them. Noneconomic damages cover pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life, and they are generally subject to a statutory limit that rises for catastrophic injuries.

Is there a cap on what I can recover?

Noneconomic damages are generally limited to $750,000, or $1 million for a defined catastrophic injury or the death of a parent with minor children. The jury is not told about the limit, and the court applies it afterward. Economic damages are not capped, and the limit does not apply in certain situations, such as intoxication or destroyed evidence.

Why is evidence preservation so urgent in a crane case?

Crane evidence is held by the companies that may be liable. Inspection logs, maintenance records, load data, and the machine itself can be repaired, scrapped, or lost. Early preservation demands help keep that evidence intact.

Can the family of someone killed in a crane accident bring a claim?

Yes. Under Tennessee law, a wrongful death action is generally brought by the personal representative or the surviving spouse, or by the children or next of kin if there is no spouse. Recoverable losses can include lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life lost.

Will workers’ compensation benefits reduce my third-party recovery?

The employer or its insurer generally has a right to be reimbursed from a third-party recovery for benefits already paid. This is why the two claims need to be coordinated, and why you should talk to a lawyer before settling either one.

What if I was an out-of-state worker or visitor hurt in a Tennessee crane accident?

We represent people from across the country who are hurt in Tennessee. We handle the investigation, insurance negotiations, and court filings here and keep you updated wherever you live, so you do not have to travel for every step.

Do I need a lawyer if the crane company’s insurer is already offering to pay?

An early offer usually reflects what the insurer wants to pay, not the full cost of your injuries. Crane injuries can involve long-term disability and surgery that is not yet apparent. Having a lawyer review any offer before you accept it can prevent a costly mistake.

How much does it cost to hire your firm?

Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee basis in personal injury cases, so we are paid only if we recover compensation for you, and your first consultation is free.

Serving Crane Accident Clients Across East Tennessee and the State

Construction and heavy lifting happen everywhere in Tennessee, and so do the injuries. We represent clients from Knoxville, Clinton, Maryville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and LaFollette, and across Knox County, Anderson County, Blount County, Sevier County, and Campbell County. We have also represented people from Roane County, Claiborne County, Morgan County, Jefferson County, and Monroe County.

Our reach extends throughout East Tennessee and beyond. Whether you were hurt on a job site in the Smoky Mountain resort area, a commercial project near Knoxville, or a worksite farther afield, we can review your case and explain your options. We also represent people in Johnson City, Nashville, Memphis, and every community in between, and we can travel to you when your injuries make it hard to come to us.

Speak With a Tennessee Crane Accident Attorney

If a crane has changed your life or taken someone you love, the companies involved are already protecting themselves. A Tennessee crane accident attorney at Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette can move quickly to preserve evidence, identify every responsible party, and press for the full value of your losses. Call us for a free consultation. There are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.