A Tennessee man filed a personal injury lawsuit against a Mt. Juliet contractor last week, after a crane collapsed and fell on his car in May. The complaint was brought by Carroll Lee Williams against Mountain States Contractors, which has a contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation t o build a new bridge on Highway 109 over the Cumberland River. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in Sumner County Circuit Court in Gallatin, on May 21, a crane owned and operated by Mountain States collapsed and fell on Williams’ car as he was traveling south on Highway 109, causing him to suffer serious physical and emotional injuries. If you have been seriously injured in a construction accident or another type of accident in Tennessee, contact our knowledgeable attorneys at Michael D. Ponce & Associates to explore your possible compensation options.
A spokesperson for the Gallatin Police Department reported that the crane was on a barge when it fell on to Williams’ vehicle. According to allegations raised in the suit, Mountain States workers failed to maintain control of and secure the crane, allowing it to collapse and crash onto Williams’ car. The complaint also alleged that the workers “failed to properly and safely control traffic in and around the worksite.” As a result of the crane collapse, Williams reportedly suffered “serious and painful personal injuries resulting in past and future physical pain and mental suffering.” In addition to those injuries, the suit also claims that Williams incurred significant medical bills, property damage, travel expenses and loss of employment, for which he is seeking punitive damages.
Unfortunately, the crane collapse that injured Williams isn’t the only blemish on Mountain States’ history of workplace safety. According to Williams’ complaint, Mountain States Contractors has a history of serious work safety violations, which put the lives of its workers and others at unnecessary risk. In 2005, The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the contractor $147,200 following an investigation into a work-related accident that killed a worker at a highway construction site in Nashville. In November 2010, another Mountain States worker was killed in a job site accident in Memphis, Tennessee. Two other workers were killed in 2011, on a bridge construction project in Knoxville that Mountain States was working on.
Overall, in addition to Williams’ accident, four other people have been killed in incidents related to work being performed by Mountain States Contractors and/or its affiliated companies since 2005. If you have suffered life-altering injuries in an accident in Nashville, or elsewhere in TN, consult our experienced lawyers at Michael D. Ponce & Associates to discuss your options for legal recourse. Our attorneys have years of experience protecting the rights of injured individuals throughout Tennessee, and will work diligently to help you pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and any other damages related to the accident.
Source: http://www.lebanondemocrat.com/story/man-sues-contractor-after-crane-falls-car