An equipment hire company is suing a modular construction specialist after one of its cranes suffered “significant damage” when it toppled during a lifting operation.

Slough-based Baldwins Crane Hire has launched a £1.5 million legal claim against Vision Modular Systems following the incident at a site in Romford, Essex.

Baldwins alleges that the crane was overloaded, causing it to overturn and ultimately be written off.

Court documents show the claim has been brought under Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) crane hire conditions, with Baldwins alleging “negligence, misdirection or misuse”.

According to the claim, Vision “allowed [the 150-tonne mobile crane] to topple over in the course of a lifting operation, causing significant damage to it such that it was a total loss”.

Vision is the modular construction arm of contractor Tide Construction.

Baldwins said it supplied the crane and operator to Vision in August 2023 for a three-week hire period, but the crane overturned later that same month. Investigations carried out afterwards allegedly indicated the crane had been overloaded.

The hire firm also claims there was no supervisor overseeing the lift and that no lift-specific plans or risk assessments had been completed beforehand.

According to Baldwins, the crane sustained such severe damage that its insurers concluded it was “most economical to replace the crane”.

The company argues that overloading the crane amounted to “negligence, misuse and misdirection”.

In total, Baldwins is seeking £1.5 million in damages, covering both ongoing hire charges and the loss of the crane itself.

The firm said it has already invoiced Vision for £545,000 in hire costs, which it claims are now overdue. Baldwins added that this entitles it to charge 2% interest on the unpaid amount.

However, a spokesperson for Vision told Construction News that the unpaid invoices “remain in dispute”.

Although Baldwins recovered £249,000 from selling the remains of the £1 million crane, it said the costs of recovery, inspection and transportation increased the total liability to £951,000.

The claim alleges Vision breached CPA Condition 9(d), which states that hirers are responsible for expenses “arising from any breakdown, unsatisfactory working of or damage to any part of the plant” caused by the hirer’s “negligence, misdirection or misuse of the plant”.

Baldwins also claims Vision breached its contract by failing to return the crane in the same condition and by “inadequately planning” the lifting operation.

The crane hire company further alleged that supervision on site was “inadequate” and said Vision’s risk assessments were both “inadequate and inadequately recorded”.

Baldwins said this was the second incident involving the same crane at the Romford site during the hire period. The first allegedly occurred when a cherry picker struck one of the crane’s outriggers.

According to the claimant, neither incident would have happened “without Vision’s negligence”.

A spokesperson for Vision said: “This matter is subject to ongoing litigation and therefore it is not appropriate for Vision to comment at this time.

“Vision wishes to make clear that any purported ‘unpaid’ invoices remain in dispute and are the subject of this litigation.”