Construction Accidents

Plaintiff v. Amerigas Inc.: $3,000,000 for Back Up Injuries
The plaintiff was a surveyor who was preparing to set up a surveying job in a public cul de sac in a small central California town. He and his helper were kneeling down in the middle of the street on a sunny Summer day facing away from an Amerigas facility at the end of a quiet cul de sac. The plaintiff was wearing an orange tee shirt and no orange cones had yet been placed in the street because the actual surveying had not yet begun... Read More

$8.9 million settlement -- Our client v. J&M, Inc.; Classic Blues Water Trucks and Francisco Vigil
$8.9 million settlement for a 21-year-old college student from Pleasanton, California who lost his leg in a construction accident. While working a summer job with Mountain Cascade, Inc. ("MCI") construction company out of Livermore, California, our client stood behind a MCI water truck... Read More

Echols v. Omark Industries.
This was a wrongful death/products liability construction case involving a construction worker in his late 50's who was using an Omark, Model 330G nail or stud gun (aka a powder actuated tool) to nail something to the ceiling. He was standing on a scaffold to gain access to the ceiling. He had the guard of the stud gun in the full offset position. He pulled the trigger and a nail penetrated the cement ceiling and "fish hooked" out beyond the coverage of the offset guard and hit him in the head. The nail lodged in his skull, he lost his balance and fell about 20 feet to the cement floor below. This resulted in his immediate death. After extensive discovery Omark Industries settled the case for a confidential sum.

Our Clients v. John N. Petersen, Inc., James DenBeste and Jim DenBeste Trucking
$2.265 million settlement in a wrongful death case in Sonoma County for the surviving wife and adult son of a 56-year-old Caltrans construction inspector who was backed over by a dump truck at a highway construction project just outside Willits. » Read More

$1,200,000 Settlement -- Lopez v. Hercules Powder Company et al.
This was another construction site accident at the abandoned Hercules Powder plant in Hercules, California. Our client was using an acetyline torch for demolition work. He was trying to cut a large metal cylinder in half and he decided to do so longitudinally. He started at one end and just as he got to the opposite end, the cylinder split open and the hot metal close to him fell against his leg crushing it and burning it. This resulted in a below the knee amputation of his leg. The defense position was that Mr. Lopez foolishly cut the cylinder making it obvious to him that it would split as the cut was nearly accomplished. After an extensive settlement conference, the case settled for $1,200,000.

$750,000 Mediation Settlement -- Olmedo v. Hercules Powder Company et al.
This was a construction sight accident involving the demolition of a tall metal tower in Hercules, California. Our client was using an acetyline torch to cut the legs of the tower and calculated that the tower would fall in a direction away from his body. Unfortunately, he miscalculated and the tower started to twist and fall in his direction. He tried to outrun it but he could not and luckily most of his body was spared as an opening on the tower fell on him. The impact caused serious fractures and lacerations to his major arm requiring multiple surgeries and residual scarring. The defense argued that the entire incident was the fault of Mr. Olmedo for not properly planning where the tower would fall. The case settled at mediation for $750,000.