Fatal Crane Collapse: City Fined, Crane Owner Pleads Not Guilty

New York City has been fined $5,000 after refusing to turn over important documents relating to the fatal crane collapse that took place last spring in Manhattan. The Building Department documents, which include emails and equipment inspection information, are needed in the NYC wrongful death lawsuits filed by the families of two of the men killed, Donald C. Leo and Ramadan Kurtaj. The wrongful death lawsuit is against the crane company, the company’s owner, the NYC Building Department, and others involved in the accident.

The owner of the crane company is also now facing charges for manslaughter in the deadly New York construction accident, though he has entered a not guilty plea. The man, James Lomma, hired a Chinese company to fix the crane before the accident even though the company admitted that it might not be able to properly do the job.

A New York City inspector has already resigned in the wake of the Manhattan crane accident.