GWC attorneys Bennett J. Baker and Geoffrey E. Jacobs have obtained a $315,000.00 verdict for a union decorator who was injured while working at a trade show.
Union Decorator Struck With Dumpster
On September 14, 2014, a 49-year-old union decorator was taking down an exhibit at a trade show at a convention center in the Chicago area. Once his crew lowered a large PVC pipe frame, they started removing a cloth banner/sign that fit over it.
While they were dismantling the sign, other laborers were driving around on motorized carts, pulling heavy dumpsters behind them. One of these drivers tried to drive his cart and dumpster through a small area between the sign on the ground and a JLG lift that the client’s crew had used. The driver’s dumpster hit the tire of the JLG lift, causing it to swing and strike the union decorator in the back, which forced him to fall forward and attempt to brace his fall with his outstretched arms.
Left Shoulder Injury
As a result of this incident, GWC’s client suffered a tear of the posterior labrum of the left shoulder, requiring surgical intervention.
It took sixteen months for him to reach maximum medical recovery.
Significant Verdict for Client
Mr. Baker and Mr. Jacobs pursued the driver of the cart and the event company that employed him. In trying to obtain fair compensation for GWC’s client, they faced strong denials from the Defendants, who maintained that the union decorator was not struck by the dumpster, that he contributed to his injury because he positioned himself in a dangerous area, and that he only suffered shoulder strain, not a posterior labrum tear.
“The first offer to the client was $5,000.00,” said Mr. Baker.
Ultimately, Mr. Baker and Mr. Jacobs were forced by the Defendants’ intransigence to take their client’s case to trial.
Immediately prior to trial, “The Defendants made a settlement offer of only $20,000.00, which we rejected,” Mr. Jacobs said.
The jury was moved by the facts of the case that GWC presented and awarded the union decorator $315,000.000.
Construction Accident Lawyers Who Fight For You
Construction accidents present some of the most challenging personal injury cases. These incidents require knowledge not only of the applicable law but also of the construction industry and its operations.
If you have sustained significant injuries during a construction accident, turn to the Chicago construction accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.
For over four decades, GWC has proudly represented members of all the major building trades unions. We have done this so much that we have often been called “the construction accident law firm.” Unions count on us when their members sustain an injury because they know that we get results. And with more than $2 billion recovered in verdicts and settlements, these results speak for themselves.
To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Chicago construction accident lawyers, contact GWC. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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