A foreman for a heating and air conditioning company has settled his lawsuit with multiple defendants after he fell and was severely injured in 2014. Mr. Ward, the plaintiff in the above matter, fell about 20 feet through a mezzanine onto a floor below. He fell through an unguarded hole in the floor. Mr. Ward suffered fractures to his pelvis, lumbar spine, ribs and left foot. He also sustained a brain injury. His pelvic injury was treated with the insertion of a plate and screws to stabilize the area. He presently walks with a limp and has been unable to return to his job. The wage loss claim in the above suit was approximately $1,000,000.00. The settlement calls for multiple parties to contribute to the settlement as multiple parties has some role in making sure the worksite was safe. Mr. Ward was represented by the law firm of Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow.
The defendants defended the case by stating that the plaintiff should have known about the condition as he was in this area multiple times prior to the fall and should have been aware of where the hole in the floor was located.
As demonstrated above, slip and fall accidents can cause very severe injuries. Though a typical slip and fall may include a slip and fall on ice or a slip and fall on a sidewalk, a worksite slip and fall can cause severe injuries that may prevent an individual from continuing to earn income for his or her family. It appears the defendants in this matter attempted to show that the plaintiff was at fault for this accident however, the property owners and individuals who were controlling the worksite ultimately accepted responsibility for the accident by way of a settlement. New Jersey law imposes a duty on those who own and operate worksites to ensure that their premises are safe for the workers who are performing tasks at the worksites. If those individuals fail to make the worksite a safe environment and someone is injured as a result, they can be responsible for the injuries that the injured worker suffers.
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