13.12.2017

Crane operator fights back

Kevin Reilly, the operator of the crane that overturned in Manhattan, has launched a $2.5 million defamation lawsuit against the investigators that found him guilty of causing the fatal incident.

An independent investigation by Crane Tech Solutions -Click to see the full report- found Reilly responsible. Its inquiry, released 10 months after the incident occurred, determined that Reilly failed to secure the crane the night before and lowered the boom at an improper angle while the Department of Buildings investigation also concluded that Reilly should have secured the crane’s boom the night before it collapsed and was reckless in the way he handled the situation. As a result it suspended his operator’s licence and looking to permanently bar him from holding a crane operators licence.

Reilly's lawsuit alleges that the incident was improperly investigated and that he was not the root cause of the overturn that killed on man and injured three others.

New York's Department of Buildings said: “Our investigation found that Mr. Reilly acted recklessly, with tragic results. We suspended his crane operator’s license last year, an action that remains in effect today.”
See crane operator blamed for NY incident
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The crane boom came down along the street