$4,200,000 – Pipefitter Injured on Aerial Lift While Welding I-Beam

On Sept. 22, 2004, plaintiff David Nowak, a 35-year-old pipefitter, was operating a JLG, stick boom aerial lift at his worksite, in the KVP Warehouse Construction Project, in Reading. Nowak had positioned the lift near an elevated I-beam to perform welding and, as he slowly elevated himself in the work basket, he inadvertently touched the drive/steer controller, caus­ing the lift to bolt forward.

After the lift raised up toward the hor­izontal I-beam, Nowak was then pinned between a steel I-beam, with his back pushing against it, and the control panel of the lift which was lodged into his chest. With his abdomen pressed hard against the control panel and the controller pressed full-forward, the lift rammed into Nowak’s midsection repeatedly, pushing his back into the I-beam, until his foreman finally rescued him by hitting the emergency stop on the machine’s ground controls. He sustained multiple severe injuries.

Nowak sued the manufacturer JLG Industries Inc., as well as the company that leased and serviced the lift, United Rentals North America Inc. alleging design and manufacturing defects, as well as poor maintenance and training.

INJURIES/DAMAGES: Nowak was hospitalized from Sept. 22 to November 3 at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He was kept in a medi­cally induced coma. He was diagnosed with burst fractures at L3 and L4 along with a major colon injury. He also had a deep vein thrombosis in his right arm and ventilator-dependent respiratory failure. While he was hospitalized, Nowak underwent exploratory laparotomy with diverting colostomy and bag insertion, and seven other surgical procedures. At discharge, he could ambulate only with assistance.

Nowak was readmitted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in June 2005 for additional abdominal surgery because his fistula had become infected. He then developed another infection of the abdominal wall mass in June 2006, which eventually required surgery in February 2007. That procedure included the removal of Nowak’s hernia sac.

In June 2007, Nowak went to the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. The surgeons there recommended conservative, symptomatic management of the recurrent fistula infections.

Plaintiff’s counsel asserted that Nowak has constant pain in his midsection along with impaired bowel and bladder function. Counsel contended that Nowak also suffered an embarrassing episode where his colostomy bag exploded in public. Nowak was unable to work with the injuries and that forced his wife to return to work to provide for their family. Asserting Nowak’s condition was chronic and permanent, plaintiff’s counsel sought an unspecified amount for his pain and suffering.

VERDICT INFORMATION: The parties agreed to a $4.2 million settlement.

Ready for a free confidential case evaluation?

Contact us TODAY. Timing is critical for your case.