Denver Personal Injury Lawyer - Construction Law

Hoover Dam bypass clean-up after crane collapse

Staff Writer — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 11:38:41 GMT

On September 15, 2006, high winds caused two 280-foot-tall steel cranes to collapse in a major construction accident at the site of the $234 million Hoover Dam bypass project. This week, a crew of divers is working to clean up the debris from the Colorado River.

A story in Central Utah's Daily Herald details the construction accident that caused $50 million in damages and set back the project's completion date two years. The Hoover Dam Bypass project will build 3.5 miles of four-lane highway and a 1,900-foot bridge over the Colorado River to connect with U.S. 93.

The September crane collapse forced contractors Obayashi Corp. and PSM Construction USA Inc. to find the resources to remove 300,000 pounds of steel cable and debris at the bottom of the Colorado River.

Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the construction accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Gas worker dies in construction accident

Staff Writer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:32:18 GMT

A contract gas worker was blown out of a fijve-foot-deep hole and killed by head injuries from the accident, says a report on ABC 7 News TheDenverChannel.com.

The victim was a man working with Schneider Energy Services, contracted by EnCana Oil and Gas. Apparently the gas line he was working on ruptured and blew him out of the hole, instantly killing him. The federal government's OSHA group is still investigating the incident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Third crane collapse since April on I-25

Staff Writer — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:52:46 GMT

Last week in Colorado Springs, a crane collapsed over I-25 for the third time since a fatal accident in April. Fortunately no one was injured in this crane accident that dropped a girder onto the open highway and closed the I-25 for many hours.

This has been the third accident since the $150 million COSMIX construction project began. An April crane collapse killed a worker. Many are wondering why so many accidents are happening, and what needs to happen to bring higher safety levels to the construction site.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

New Urbanism Projects and Reordered Risks of Trend

Staff Writer — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:15:50 GMT

New Urbanism is, with the new world of lifestyle choices and development opportunities, among the most prominent current concepts in city planning and development. Typically this type of real estate development is the creation of diverse, walkable and compact communities with mixed-use elements including high-rise condominiums.

Along with these development opportunities developers are also discovering construction risk issues that differ from those more familiar to suburban subdivisions. The construction risks associated with New Urbanism differ substantially from what builders may have experienced.

According to Don Neff, President of LaJolla Pacific, Ltd., who works with developers around the west,

"looking at the top risks leading to construction defect litigation, there is a different order of impact compared to single-family dwellings, encompassing water intrusion, acoustical, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), common wall and occupancy and/or ownership separation issues. These are all much more critical concerns for both residential occupants and retail tenants in a mixed-use project in a New Urbanist context, for example."

Prior to taking on high-rise condominium projects, developers and contractors need to understand the unique risks involved.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer