$6.15M Settlement Reached in Fatal Crane Collapse Case

Provost Umphrey equity partner Ed Fisher helped secure a $6.15 million settlement on behalf of the family of a crane operator who tragically died in a catastrophic industrial accident at a Virginia facility. The case resolved on January 17, 2025, shortly before trial, with the assistance of mediator Judge Westbrook J. Parker (Ret.).

The decedent, a long-time crane operator, was working from a cab 80 feet above the ground when a structural failure caused the cantilevered portion of the crane’s girder — along with the operator’s cab and loaded grapple — to collapse. Investigations revealed that a critical crack in the crane’s top I-beam had developed over several years and went undetected during routine maintenance.

Fisher, along with co-counsel Kyle McNew of MichieHamlett, represented the decedent’s family in bringing claims of negligence against two companies responsible for servicing the crane — including one that had inspected it just days prior to the collapse. Defense arguments of statutory immunity and lack of duty were rejected by the circuit court. The settlement provides some measure of justice for the decedent’s spouse of over 30 years and their three adult children.

Read the full case summary in Virginia Lawyers Weekly:
👉 Fatal crane collapse case settles for $6.15M