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GWC Increases Union Laborer’s Settlement to $20,000,000.00

GWC partners Louis C. CairoMichael D. Fisher, and Louis A. Cairo have obtained an additional $2,839,590.00 for a union laborer, increasing the total amount of his settlement to $20 Million.

Union Laborer Suffers Significant Injury

In October 2019, a 41-year-old union construction laborer was tearing up sidewalks to accommodate the installation of fiber optic cabling in a Chicago neighborhood.  As the laborer was trying to pull a large chunk of concrete away from a wrought iron fence so that the operator of a Gradall’s shovel could remove it, the operator unexpectedly hit his left shoulder.  The force of the blow caused his head to strike the adjacent vertical fence post while his shoulders and body extended past the post, resulting in an internal cranio-cervical disassociation injury in which his skull actually detached from his vertebral column.

Despite multiple cervical fusion procedures and other medical interventions, the union laborer lost 95% of his ability to turn his head left or right, as well as his ability his raise or lower his chin/head.  His impairment has cost him his trade and permanently restricted his physical activity.

GWC Establishes Jobsite Negligence

GWC partners Louis C. Cairo, Michael D. Fisher, and Louis A. Cairo worked diligently to gather compelling evidence of every Defendant’s liability, including video footage from the owner of a nearby property.  The footage proved conclusively that the union laborer never gave a hand signal directing the Gradall’s shovel operator to extend the boom forward and then suddenly bent over in front of the boom’s shovel attachment – even though the Defendant operator and other site workers had all previously signed a document stating that he had done so.

Additionally, GWC demonstrated that no jobsite safety hazard analysis or safety program had been put in place prior to the incident, contrary to accepted construction industry customs and practices and good safety consciousness.

Final Defendant Agrees To Large Settlement

Based on the strength of the case it presented, GWC has been able to reach settlements with all Defendants in this matter.  Earlier in 2023, the firm settled with the Gradall Contractor, TES, for its $6 Million policy limits, along with a waiver of the approximately $1.2 Million workers’ compensation lien.  At that time, GWC also entered into a settlement agreement with the General Contractor, MAT Construction, for $10 Million of their $11 Million in applicable policies.

In addition to the $17.2 Million tendered by the above Defendants, GWC has just obtained $2,839,590.00 from the final Defendant, Crown Castle – the “absent owner” of the fiber optic service that was being installed in this project – bringing the total amount of the Plaintiffs’ settlement to $20 Million. 

“While our clients were already very pleased with the compensation they had received from the other Defendants, we wanted to make sure that everyone responsible for this terrible incident was held accountable,” said Louis C. Cairo, managing partner of GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.

Getting Full Compensation For Injured Clients

It is essential to identify all of the parties who may be at fault for a serious injury if the victim hopes to obtain full and fair compensation.  This is especially true of construction accidents, which require comprehensive knowledge of the operations of the industry, federal regulations, and state law.

To maximize your claim value, whether by settlement or trial, contact the dedicated personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.

With more than $2.5 billion recovered in verdicts and settlements, GWC is one of the premier personal injury and workers’ compensation law firms in Illinois. At GWC, our trial lawyers have the experience, determination, resources, and reputation you need to help get you and your family the justice you deserve.

Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with one of GWC’s trial lawyers today. You may call our office at (312) 626-9708 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.

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