Paralyzed Construction Worker Receives Needed Benefits

A 37-year-old construction worker who was left paralyzed after being knocked from a roof where he was working received a $1.5 million dollar settlement in Wake County. He and his co-workers were not wearing fall protection gear and stood atop a second-floor wall doing roof truss installation work using set tresses for support. The workers would grab trusses that were swung into place by a crane and nail the trusses into place. As roof trusses were swung into position, the worker was knocked from the roof to the concrete driveway below. He suffered permanent injuries, including paraplegia.

Representing the injured worker, Martin & Jones filed suit against the crane company responsible for moving the roof trusses, the general contractor, and the framing contractor. The worker, who was an undocumented alien, worked for an unlicensed, uninsured framing crew. Because the employer carried no workers' compensation insurance, the framing contractor became liable for the workers' compensation claim. The framing company accepted responsibility for the claim, and the suit proceeded against the general contractor and the crane company.

The injured worker will have his medical needs covered for the rest of his life as well as a handicapped-accessible home.