New York man gets $1 million after slipping, falling on the job

A man from Midland Beach was setting tiles five years ago when he slipped and fell. He was working in the stairwell to the Manhattan subway. Lighting conditions were poor, and he slipped on some debris. He was seriously injured.

Though it’s taken half of a decade, he just settled his lawsuit, and he’s been awarded $1 million.

The man was working for a company called Jantile Inc., which is based in the Bronx. When he slipped, his legal team said that he fell all the way down the stairs. He hurt his back and his wrist. The injuries were so serious that he needed to have surgery and it’s been impossible for him to go back to work in the years since.

The lawsuit targeted the electrical contractor, which was Kleinberg Electric Inc., and the general contractor, which was Skanska USA Civil Northeast Inc. He said that they neglected to put in guardrails, did not clean up the debris, and broke state laws by not giving him a device to allow him to safely work in an elevated position — such as a scaffold. He also said that proper lighting had not been installed, meaning he could not see well enough in the dim conditions to work safely.

As this lawsuit shows, workplace injuries can have a lasting impact, sometimes even putting workers out of a job and prematurely ending their careers. When this happens, they face substantial financial losses on top of their medical bills, and they must know if they have a right to seek compensation in court.

Source: SILive.com, “$1 million settlement for tile setter hurt in fall on job,” Frank Donnelly, April 02, 2017