A former crane operator has been awarded $1.45 million for injuries he suffered in Nov. 2006 after the collapse of a construction crane. Warren Yeakey, 39-year-old father of four, had asked for $12 million. Yeakey is considered 100% disabled by the Department of Labor & Industries.
The defendants in the lawsuit were Seattle-based general contractor Lease Crutcher Lewis and the Seattle engineering firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates. Yeakey was operating a 210-foot crane when it came crashing down on two buildings, killing a man in one of the buildings. An investigation into the accident found the collapse was caused by the flawed engineering design of the crane’s base.
As a result of the collapse, State lawmakers passed tougher standards for crane safety.