Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Gets $11 Million Settlement During Trial

Philadelphia injury lawyer obtains $11 million settlement after one week of trial for steel worker who died when he fell through unprotected gap into pit of boiling water.

Announcer: This is “NBC 10 News Live at Five.”

News Anchor: Plus an NBC 10 Investigators exclusive. A local family wins the largest court settlement in the history of Philadelphia. Coming up on “Live at Five,” the family shares the emotional story about the horrific incident that took the loved one’s life.

Now an investigator’s follow-up about a Delaware steel worker who died in one of the worst workplace accidents in recent memory. After just one week of trial, the steel company being sued settled for $11 million. That’s the largest settlement in Philadelphia history. Tony Fuhr died about as horribly as anyone can die.

Pam: No, I just didn’t want more daddies to die. It didn’t have to happen.

News Anchor: On Valentine’s Day 2003, Tony Fuhr fell through an unprotected gap into a pit full of water and molten metal at this Claymont, Delaware steel plant. Intake depositions, co-workers told how they rushed to Tony’s primal pleas for help.

John: Like an animal’s scream. Steam was coming off of him and you could start to see the skin was starting to peel on his hands.

News Anchor: Within minutes, Tony’s flesh began peeling off to the bone, so much so that when paramedics arrived, they couldn’t find a vein to administer pain medication. Soon after, Tony died. That testimony coupled with company officials admitting that they knew for years that the open gap in front of the pit was a safety hazard, forced EnviroSource to settle for $11 million.

Atty. Mongeluzzi: The shame of this accident and this horrible death was that they knew about it, they talked about it, and they did nothing about it. For 11 years, that hazard existed.

News Anchor: So, $11 million may sound like a lot, but it’ll never replace what Pam’s lost.

Pam: I’m glad it’s over, but I’d still do anything just to have him back.

News Anchor: Earlier you heard Pam say that part of her motivation in suing was to ensure that no one else suffered her husband’s fate. She achieved that. Her husband’s steel company, EnviroSource, has now revamped its safety procedures, which includes fully encasing those steel cooling pits with pipe fencing.