A mother on the school run sustained fatal injuries when a large pile of bricks fell on her head as she walked past a building site in east London, a court has heard.
Michaela Boor, 29, was on Burdett Road, Bow, on the morning of 27 March 2018 when the accident happened. She suffered a fractured skull and died two days later.
Higgins Homes is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence.
Four construction workers contracted by Higgins Homes - Thomas Anstis, Stephen Coulson, Dawood Maan and Alexander McInnes - are accused of the same offences. Both Higgins Homes and the four men deny the charges.
Opening the case on Monday, prosecutor Alexandra Healy KC said Boor had been walking towards some shops with a friend, Chelsea Mustafa, when the bricks fell from a crane.
'Catastrophic brain injuries'
She said: "Their route took them past a construction site that was being developed by Higgins Homes plc.
"A pallet of bricks that was being transported by a tower crane towards a loading bay immediately adjacent to the pavement along Burdett Way fell on to them."
The court heard the pallet caught on scaffolding while it was being hoisted, causing the bricks to fall.
The prosecution claimed crane operator McInnes had a restricted view of the load and that the operation became a "blind lift" when it moved completely out of sight.
Healy added: "Chelsea Mustafa ran into the road, away from the construction site. Although some bricks hit her on the back and her hand, she was able to avoid the bulk of the falling load.
"Michaela Boor did not make it off the pavement.
"She was hit by the falling bricks which fractured her skull and she sustained catastrophic brain injuries."
Higgins Homes was the principal contractor and designer of the project to build a block of flats.
The prosecution alleges there had been no risk assessment for lifting pallets of bricks so close to members of the public, and claimed Higgins Homes had not considered the safety of people outside the site.
"Higgins Homes failed to give proper consideration to the protection of the public," Healy told the court.
Anstis, 69, of Banstead, Surrey, was the senior site manager and temporary work co-ordinator. He was in charge of the building site and overseeing the work of subcontractors.
The prosecutor claimed there was evidence showing that he "cut corners" to "save cost".
Coulson, 69, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was director of Coulson Lifting Services and was in charge of lifting services.
He was not at the site on the day of the incident.
Maan, 61, of Ashford, Kent, was the crane supervisor responsible for overseeing and supervising lifting operations on the site.
McInnes, 34, of Islington, north London, was the crane operator.
The trial continues.