GWC partner, Louis Anthony Cairo, and attorney, Autumn Leslie, successfully obtained a settlement of $5,000,000.00 on behalf of a union painter who was injured on the job when a 40-pound package fell off an outside delivery vendor’s handcart and onto the Plaintiff’s upper back and neck. (The worker’s compensation case is still pending.)
40 Pound Package Strikes Union Painter
The incident occurred in August of 2019 while Plaintiff, a union painter, was stopped on the 3-wheel work scooter he had been operating. At the same time, Defendant was operating a hand cart stacked with numerous products, each weighing forty (40) pounds. As Plaintiff was stopped sitting on his 3-wheel work scooter checking his handheld device in order to determine his work assignment for the day, he was suddenly and unexpectedly struck on the upper back and neck by multiple packages after Defendant rear-ended his scooter with the fully-loaded hand cart.
As result a result of the incident, Plaintiff underwent multiple surgeries, pain management solutions, and rounds of physical therapy.
GWC Establishes Liability Against The Defendant
Defendant was responsible for performing deliveries in a safe manner when operating his hand cart. Stacking numerous packages so high that he could not see over the top of them and not securing them to the hand cart surely was not operating safely. One witness informed GWC attorneys that the Defendant told him shortly after the accident occurred that he did not secure the packages to the hand cart because it takes too much time. Defendant knew the risk he was taking and chose speed over safety.
Overtime, Defendant’s version of events had become more self-serving in an attempt to avoid accountability for causing the collision and Plaintiff’s severe injuries, while Plaintiff always gave the same consistent account of what he was doing and how he was injured that day. “Regardless of which story Defendant was telling, it was abundantly clear from the evidence and witness testimony that the only person who could have prevented this collision was the Defendant,” said GWC attorney Autumn Leslie. The collision was completely avoidable had Defendant kept a safe distance while operating his hand cart and had the packages weighing over 700 pounds had been secured to the handcart.
Parties Settle Union Painter’s Case for $5,000,000.00
Defendant agreed to settle this matter for $5,000,000.00. The large amount of this settlement reflected the damages our client incurred as a result of this incident, as well as the loss of consortium suffered by his wife. “We are proud to have secured a settlement that reflected the severity of Plaintiff’s injuries and the impact on his life,” said GWC partner, Louis Anthony Cairo.
Advocating for Injured Victims in Illinois
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 to get you and your family the justice and money you deserve.
Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with one of GWC’s trial lawyers today. You may call our office at (312) 999-9999 or click here to chat with a representative at any time
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