$2,850,000 Settlement for Injured Worker at Manufacturing Facility

Robert W. Zimmerman and Samuel A. Haaz secured a $2.85 million settlement on behalf of a worker who was injured at a manufacturing facility in Halltown, West Virginia. The injured worker used an overhead crane to place a large metal spool (cylindrical roller) onto a piece of wood.

Unbeknownst to him, the spool became unstable on the wooden block, falling from the block and pinning the worker’s right leg. The injured worker broke his leg, required multiple surgeries, and was unable to return to work for over a year.

Messrs. Zimmerman and Haaz filed suit against two sister companies of the worker’s employer, and argued that those entities had certain responsibilities to oversee and manage the operation of the facility where the accident occurred. The Defendants argued that the Plaintiff should only be entitled to the Workers’ Compensation benefits he received from his payroll employer, and that Plaintiff’s conduct in setting the metal spool onto an unstable surface meant that he was at fault for the injuries he suffered and should not be entitled to recover from anyone else.