New York Legal Authority
New York workers who are injured in a construction accident can end up with a lifetime of pain if their injuries are serious enough. One such worker in western New York recently is set to receive a multimillion-dollar settlement as a result of a permanent injury he suffered on the job in March 2011.
The man, who is now 38 years old, was working on a building in East Amherst, New York. He was standing on a piece of particle board covering a stairwell opening that broke, causing him to fall 14 feet. He landed on the ground and is now paralyzed from the waist down.
According to reports about the incident, the particle board should have been secured with at least six — and as many as 20 — nails were required to keep it in place. However, it was only held up by two nails. The worker had assumed it was plywood; it was covered by snow. It turned out that the board had been reclaimed from a pile of materials that had been scrapped.
The man has a great attitude about his situation; he is working out to gain strength in his upper body and intends to walk again via stem-cell therapy or a high-tech robotic walking machine. So far he has endured three different surgeries on his spine and had to build a $120,000 addition to his home, which he shares with his wife and four kids, in order for him to be able to access it. The $18.5 million settlement will help him and his family to further normalize their lives.
Source: The Buffalo News, “Carpenter paralyzed in job-site accident gets $18.5 million settlement,” Patrick Lakamp, April 11, 2013
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$18 million settlement for construction worker paralyzed in fall
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