Hennig v. Crosby Group, Inc.

In the fall of 1983, the Port of Seattle engaged Hurlen Construction Company (the employer) to rehabilitate Pier 91 in Seattle. The construction company used a crane to replace old pilings at the pier via "pigeon holes" opened through the deck of the pier. A new piling would be lifted over the "pigeon hole" while a "pile buck" would position the 90-foot, 3,000-pound pile into place. After positioning the piling, the pile buck would signal the crane operator to let the pile fall into the sediment under the pier. The "pile buck" would step away when the pile was released.

During the course of…