Crane Accident Lawyer in Bakersfield

Over $1 Billion Recovered for California’s Injured Workers

Crane accidents produce some of the most serious injuries on any job site, and Kern County workers face this risk daily across construction, oilfield, agricultural, and warehousing operations. Alvandi Law Group, P.C. represents injured workers from its Bakersfield office, handling crane accident workers’ compensation claims throughout Kern County and across California. The firm has recovered over $1 billion for injured workers and accident victims and devotes all of its time and resources to personal injury and workers’ compensation cases.

California’s workers’ compensation system is no-fault: an injured worker doesn’t need to prove the employer was negligent to receive benefits. If a crane accident happened on the job, coverage may apply regardless of how the incident occurred.

How Crane Accidents Happen on Bakersfield Job Sites

Crane accidents follow recognizable patterns, and understanding them matters when building a claim. The most common incidents Kern County workers encounter include:

• Crane collapse: Overloading beyond rated capacity, structural defects, faulty outriggers, or inadequate ground support can bring a crane down entirely.
• Falling loads: Rigging failures, improperly secured loads, or an overextended boom can send materials dropping without warning.
• Struck-by incidents: The crane itself or a swinging load makes contact with a worker who isn’t the operator, often with little time to react.
• Power line contact: Crane booms reaching overhead electrical lines cause electrocution, which accounts for a significant share of fatal crane accidents nationally.
• Crushing accidents: A crane can pin a worker against another structure, object, or piece of machinery.

Workers at risk extend well beyond the operator. Riggers, ironworkers, signal persons, and laborers working anywhere near an active crane are all exposed.

Injuries That Produce Workers’ Compensation Claims

Crane accidents frequently produce catastrophic harm. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, crush injuries, broken bones, amputations, and severe burns from electrical contact are all common outcomes. Many of these injuries affect a worker’s long-term earning capacity and require extended medical care, sometimes permanently.

Workers’ compensation covers medical treatment, hospital bills, medications, and medical equipment. It also replaces a portion of lost wages through temporary and permanent disability benefits, depending on the severity and outcome of the injury.

Filing a Crane Accident Claim in Kern County

California law sets firm deadlines after a workplace crane accident. An injured worker must report the injury to the employer within 30 days of the incident to protect eligibility for benefits. Under California Labor Code Section 5405, a formal workers’ compensation claim must be filed within one year of the injury date, the last indemnity payment, or the last medical treatment, whichever is latest. Missing either deadline can jeopardize the claim.

Once a completed claim form is submitted, California employers are required to authorize and pay up to $10,000 in medical expenses while the claim is under review. Disability benefits replace two-thirds of a worker’s average weekly wage during recovery. If an employer’s serious and willful misconduct caused the accident, California Labor Code Section 4553 allows those benefits to be increased by 50%. Workers’ compensation claims in Kern County are adjudicated through the Bakersfield Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board district office.

Alvandi Law Group, P.C. handles everything from initial claim filing through negotiations and potential hearings, including medical record gathering and paperwork management. Our crane accident attorneys in Bakersfield serve clients in multiple languages, supporting Kern County’s diverse workforce, and are available around the clock for anyone who needs to start a claim.