A crane crash in Manhattan on Wednesday morning has left many with questions, including who is behind the project where the incident took place.  

The Department of Buildings says two inspections were done on this crane back in June – one during the jumping process when the crane was raised. The DOB says no violations were issued at either inspection, and that there were no open violations at the time of the incident. The most recent inspection of the site took place on July 10.  

Monadock Construction Inc., the general contractor of the site, faces at least five lawsuits this year and over 10 lawsuits dating back to 2022 in the New York State Supreme Court.

Monadock was fined twice by the DOB - once in 2020 and again in 2021, for $17,500 each time. One fine was for inadequate safety measures after a worker fell and was injured. The other fine was for failing to safeguard a Queens construction site.  

“Could it be a red flag or a sign of something? Yes,” said attorney David Perecman. “The existence of lawsuits is not itself a sign of anything. It's just the nature of the beast." 

The crane in question was marked with the name Lomma. James F. Lomma owns multiple companies, including New York Crane and Equipment, which owns the crane that collapsed on Wednesday.  

Lomma and New York Crane and Equipment were named in a 2010 indictment for manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and more regarding a 2008 crane collapse that killed two people and seriously injured a third. Lomma was cleared of those charges, but later was found liable for negligence in a civil trial related to that collapse.  

A Monadock spokesperson wrote in a statement, "Safety is a priority for Monadnock Construction Inc. at this and every project. We are fully cooperating with all regulatory agencies and are available for any assistance that is needed."