GWC Injury Lawyers LLC is proud to announce that Michael D. Fisher and Timothy J. Keiser have obtained a settlement worth $4,500,000.00 for a union electrician who was injured after twisting his knee on a job site.
At approximately 10:00 p.m. on September 26, 2014, the Plaintiff, a 53-year-old union electrician, was working in pitch black conditions in an approximately 10-foot deep excavation pit on O’Hare International Airport’s airfield. Despite requests for temporary lighting, none was provided. Additionally, the Plaintiff was not provided any safe means of egress from the job site excavation. While attempting to crawl out of the pit, the Plaintiff twisted his right knee. As a result of this incident, the Plaintiff suffered a torn right medial meniscus. To treat his injuries, he underwent a meniscectomy, total knee replacement and subsequent revision.
The Defendants, which included the construction project’s general contractor, argued that the failure to provide temporary lighting or safe means of egress was Plaintiff’s employer’s fault. These arguments were wholly contradicted by the construction contracts which stated Defendants were responsible for job site safety and temporary lighting. The testimony of the Defendants’ employees further refuted their own arguments. Defendants had at least one employee present at the airfield that evening with both the authority and obligation to stop unsafe work. Despite knowing it is extremely dangerous to perform construction in the dark, work was permitted to continue well after sundown.
“The Defendants created exceptionally dangerous working conditions for our client and despite knowing these dangers, took no corrective action,” said Mr. Fisher. “Despite a lot of talk about job site safety, these Defendants didn’t practice what they preached” added Mr. Keiser.
The Defendants further contended that Plaintiff’s knee injury did not arise out of the occurrence. The evidence elicited by GWC through Plaintiff’s treating physicians clearly established his knee injury, and all medical treatment, was related to this occurrence.
Ultimately, Mr. Fisher and Mr. Keiser were able to overcome the Defendants’ dispositive motions and contentions and forced a settlement that provided the Plaintiff and his wife with just compensation for the impact the incident had on their lives. GWC settled the matter in a mediation with the assistance of the Hon. Judge Joseph N. Casciato at ADR. The Defendants have agreed to pay $4,400,000.00 to the Plaintiff and $100,000.00 to Plaintiff’s wife for her loss of consortium claims.
With over $2 billion recovered for our clients, GWC Injury Lawyers LLC is one of the premier Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. GWC takes pride in fighting for its clients and their families in all types of personal injury cases, including those involving workplace accidents, construction negligence, car and truck collisions, toxic torts, and wrongful death.
For more information about this matter, contact Michael D. Fisher at (312) 245-2107 or Timothy J. Keiser at (312) 245-2182.
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