Ironworker Receives $21 Million Jury Verdict in Product Liability Case

An ironworker suffered serious injuries when a piece of construction material fell and hit his self-retracting lifeline. The ironworker fell one story and suffered a burst fracture of his thoracic spine becoming paralyzed.

It turns out the manufacturer of the lifeline used by the ironworker while on the job was susceptible to failure if hit by an object, according to starherald.com. The manufacturer, DBI/SALA, never warned consumers about this safety risk.

A product liability lawsuit was filed against the manufacturer and the case went to trial. Fortunately, a jury realized the impact this accident had on the ironworker and understood that the manufacturer was negligent for not informing the public of the inherent safety risks in their product.

The jury awarded the ironworker $21 million. These funds will go to help cover the lifetime of medical expenses the victim is likely to incur due to his paralysis. Most paraplegics must spend thousands of dollars each year for in-home care and other medical costs, according to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Our firm is happy that the jury recognized the severity of this accident and sided with the victim in this product defect case.

 

PA