Scaffold Accident: On Friday, May 2, 2014, Peter Chamas received a verdict of $3.2 million for a carpenter from Port Reading that suffered serious injuries when he fell off a scaffold at a construction site in Jersey City in July 2010.
The trial took place for 13 days in Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick, NJ before Superior Court Judge Joseph Rea. The plaintiff sued the company that was in charge of the renovations at the building, the construction manager, and the plumbing & heating company.
The plaintiff hit the side of the scaffold then fell to the ground, suffering four fractured ribs, damaged lungs, a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder and damage to his spine.
You can read more about the case online: http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/05/jury_awards_woodbridge_man_32_million_for_injuries
Falls from Elevations: Falls are a persistent hazard found in all occupational settings. A fall can occur during the simple acts of walking or climbing a ladder or as a result of a complex series of events affecting an ironworker one hundred feet above the ground. The most common fall-related injuries or fatalities are in the construction industry. High-rise building cleaning and maintenance, transportation, material moving, and construction & extraction occupations are particularly at risk of fall injuries. Things that may cause fall incidents usually involve slippery or unstable walking surfaces, unsafe edges or floor holes, unsafe ladders, or incorrect fall protection. There are federal rules and regulations that require specific industry safety standards. Persistent unsafe practices and violations of safety regulations have led to steady fall injury rates each year.
