Cranes and Rigging

We have a wide range of industry experience representing crane and rigging clients in an assortment of litigation and contract matters.

KEAN MILLER, YOUR COUNSEL

Kean Miller counsels clients in litigation involving land-based cranes, offshore cranes, and hydraulic lifts. Our experience includes contract matters, failure to perform, crane failure, crane collapse, personal injury claims, and wrongful death claims.

Representative Experience
  • Representation of a major crane company in connection with its application before the State Licensing Board for Contractors.
  • Representation of a major crane and rigging contractor with regard to a federal complaint alleging that a new employee had brought a competitor’s trade secrets with him and was utilizing those trade secrets to compete with the former employer. The suit alleged violation of the Federal Wire and Electronic Communications Interception and Interception of Oral Communications Act and the Federal shared Wire and Electronic Communications and Transactional Record Access Act. The suit was successfully transferred to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana and was subsequently removed to state district court in Baton Rouge on venue grounds.
  • Representation of a major equipment manufacturer in the preparation and trial of a crane collapse case.
  • Representation of a construction company in a trial involving the collapse of a crane being used to lift a damaged silo.
  • Representation of an offshore salvage company in failed crane and rigging operations including dropped loads, failed rigging, project delays, and indemnity issues.
  • Representation of a major forest products company in a multi-million dollar claim involving the lift of 1.2 million pound piece of equipment by a hydraulic jack system and the related collapse of the jack system. The litigation revolved around issues such as replacement of worn bearings, lift points, engineering calculations, rigging of hydraulic jacks, and control panels.
  • Representation of a client in litigation involving a land-based crane used in deep marine technology. The crane was used to unload equipment from ship to shore. During the course of operation, the crane shocked the load causing a strap to break and resulting in injuries. At trial, multiple crane and rigging experts were utilized.
  • Representation of an offshore drilling contractor in a case involving defects in a crane used on an offshore platform.
  • Representation of an operator of high-line trucks in various claims of injured workers and in contract disputes.
  • Representation of a large equipment company in litigation involving contractual matter involving the repair of an industrial crane.
  • Representation of an offshore energy client in a case where a lift was rigged improperly, shifted, and hit an employee. The accident paralyzed the employee. As a result of this incident, we represented the client in suits by nine different companies based on the contracts that the client for defense and indemnity. The case also involved Louisiana Anti-Indemnity Act issues.
  • Representation of a crane and rigging company against allegations of causes of action for misappropriation of trade secrets, violation of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act, and the tort of conversion. A temporary restraining order was initially issued that was dissolved on our motion. At the district court level, the plaintiff’s application for preliminary injunction was denied. The ruling was reversed on appeal by the First Circuit Court of Appeal. Writs to the Louisiana Supreme Court were denied. Following these decisions a settlement favorable to our client was entered into and the action was dismissed.