Verdicts and Settlements
- Motor Vehicle Accident
$1.5 million settlement to brain-injured pedestrian - Construction Accident
$1.2 Million Settlement for Ladder Accident - Construction Accident
$1.115 Million Dollar Verdict to Worker Injured in Trench Collaspe, reduced to $975,625 after Jury Found 12.5% comparative negligence of Plaintiff; Verdict paid by Defendants - Workplace Safety
$1,025,000 Settlement - Worker tripped over warped floor covering at construction site. - Product Liability
$950,000 Settlement - New Jersey - Workers' Compensation
$850,000 Award - Philadelphia County - Product Liability
$850,000 Settlement - Philadelphia County - Motor Vehicle Accident
$770,000 settlement - Injured Driver Rear-Ended by Brink's Motor Vehicle - Workplace Safety
$550,000 settlement for asphalt grinding machine accident - Slip and Fall
$500,000 settlement for lack of property railings - Motor Vehicle Accident
$375,000 Arbitration Award for Motor Vehicle Accident Victim - Defective Product
$290,000 Settlement to Operator of Scrap Metal Bricking Machine - Slip and Fall
$250,000 Jury Verdict - Philadelphia county - Slip and Fall
$230,000 Settlement - New Jersey - Unsafe Product
$225,000 Settlement to Laborer - Miscellaneous Negligence
$205,000 Jury Verdict - Philadelphia County - Truck Accident
$200,000 Jury Verdict to Driver Rear-Ended by Truck
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
SETTLEMENT: $1,500,000
A pedestrian, standing at the double-yellow line waiting to cross the street, was struck by a driver’s side-view mirror. The pedestrian suffered brain injury as a result of being struck and recovered due to the thorough investigation by Christy Adams, Esq.
CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT
SETTLEMENT: $1,200,000
A cement mason descended a job-built ladder on a construction site and where the top rung pulled loose, causing him to fall 15 feet to the ground, sustaining a severe hand injury.
CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT
JURY VERDICT: $1,115,000
Our client was an experienced laborer foreman of Preston Construction Company working on a project installing 12î water main pipes for Aqua, a water company. The specifications called for 12î pipes with 4 feet of backfill. Since the project was on an active roadway, the trench had to be filled everyday and the road re-paved for traffic. On August 14, 2008, our client was working in the trench when 100 pounds of dirt collapsed from the wall and buried him up to his knee.
Aqua hired Miniscalco Construction Company to perform the job. Miniscalco Construction hired Preston Construction Company, who supplied a crew of laborers, including Plaintiff.
OSHA has strict standards and regulations for construction sites to ensure the safety of workers. These regulations include excavation safety. The OSHA regulations state that if a trench is 5 feet deep or greater and not in stable rock, then the walls of the trench must be supported by some type of bracing, such as timber shoring or a trench box. Adams Renzi Law hired Stephen Estrin, a top notch expert in construction site safety who has 40+ years experience in the construction field. Estrin testified that Miniscalco Construction violated the OSHA regulation because the trench was at least 5 feet deep and required some type of shoring, which was not done by Miniscalco Construction.
Two months prior to the trench collapse, Miniscalco Construction was warned by Aqua in another part of the project that the trench was deep and required better shoring. Apparently, Miniscalco used some type of timber shoring, but it was not adequate to protect workers.
Our client had a lumbar fusion surgery with Richard Kanoff, M.D., a neurosurgeon at Mercy Fitzgerald, and a replacement of his ankle joint by Dr. Harold Schoenhaus. After several prior surgeries to repair a fracture and tendons in the foot, Dr. Schoenhaus recommended an ankle replacement surgery, not a common procedure, but one that would alleviate the grinding sensation experienced by Plaintiff. All parties also agreed that he could not return back to work as a laborer, but could return back to some type of light duty job.
There was a jury verdict finding Miniscalco Construction 75% at fault, Aqua 12.5% at fault and Plaintiff 12.5% at fault for the incident. There was some testimony that Plaintiff may have been striking the wall of the trench with his shovel, causing the collapse himself.
There was a serious legal issue in the case about whether Miniscalco Construction was a statutory employer of Plaintiff. If it was found that Miniscalco Construction was the statutory employer of Plaintiff, then Plaintiff would not be permitted to recover against it. All parties agreed that Preston Construction was Plaintiffís employer, however, in construction accident cases, the law may also afford immunity to a construction manager or general contractor, depending on the facts of the case. This law is set forward in a Supreme Court case and is known as the McDonald Test. There was also an issue about whether Aqua was an owner of the project, thereby affording them immunity from liability except in certain instances. Adams Renzi Law attorneys argued that Aqua was a mere utility and needed to obtain a permit from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to dig up the state owned road in order to install their pipes. As a result, Aqua was a permitee and could never have an ownership interest in a state owned road. Adams Renzi Law attorneys were able to successfully overcome these defenses. Our client was paid the full amount of the verdict within 30 days.
Partners, Nicholas Renzi, Esquire and Christy Adams, Esquire tried this matter to verdict for 1 weeks in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
WORKPLACE SAFETY
SETTLEMENT: $1,025,000
Worker tripped over warped floor covering caused by negligent maintenance at construction site.
PRODUCT LIABILITY
SETTLEMENT: $950,000
A factory worker severely burned his hands necessitating multiple surgeries as a result of the operation of a laminating machine that lacked proper safety shield mechanisms and warning signs.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
AWARD: $850,000
A highway worker, was seriously injured when a large truck struck his work vehicle on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
PRODUCT LIABILITY
SETTLEMENT: $850,000
An emergency room nurse suffered debilitating injuries including lumbar disc herniation and torn rotator cuff, injuries resulting from defective footwear required to be worn in the operating room.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
JURY VERDICT: $770,000
Our client was rear-ended by a Brink's motor vehicle and sustained disc herniations at C5-6 and C6-7. After consultation with Christian Fras, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon, he elected to have a cervical fusion at the two levels. The parties engaged in mediation prior to trial with a very experienced mediator, but the offer was only $150,000. It appeared to Adams Renzi Law attorneys that the out-of-state insurance carrier was looking to settle the matter in the range of $250,000. This amount would not adequately compensate the Plaintiff.
A jury verdict found in favor of Plaintiff in the amount of $770,000. The verdict was then paid by the Defendant.
WORKPLACE SAFETY
SETTLEMENT: $550,000
A worker’s arm was pulled into an asphalt grinding machine, causing serious injury.
SLIP AND FALL
SETTLEMENT: $500,000
The plaintiff was injured, suffering back and neck injuries, from the property owner’s failure to erect a proper railing.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
ARBITRATION AWARD: $375,000
The driver was rear-ended and suffered a head contusion and whiplash followed by severe headaches and sickness. The Plaintiff was ultimately diagnosed with a cribiform plate fracture in her head, causing a cerebral spinal fluid leak.
DEFECTIVE PRODUCT
SETTLEMENT: $290,000
The hand of an operator of a scrap metal bricking machine became lodged in the door of the machine while the operator was attempting to dislodge a jam. This caused amputation of the middle finger, amputation of the ring finger below the first knuckle, and amputation of the pinky finger below the first knuckle.
SLIP AND FALL
JURY VERDICT: $250,000
The plaintiff slipped and fell on ice and snow on the sidewalk suffering severe shoulder injuries requiring surgery.
SLIP AND FALL
SETTLEMENT: $230,000
The plaintiff client slipped on ice located on sidewalk, sustaining a broken hip.
UNSAFE PRODUCT
SETTLEMENT: $225,000
A laborer was thrown to the ground when the bucket of an excavating machine dislodged and struck him in the head and shoulder.
MISCELLANEOUS NEGLIGENCE
JURY VERDICT: $205,000
The plaintiff suffered torn shoulder muscles and a herniated cervical disc after the defendant negligently dropped a large sign which was in the process of being erected.
TRUCK ACCIDENT
JURY VERDICT: $200,000
The plaintiff was rear-ended by a truck and sustained a shoulder injury consisting of a rotator-cuff tear, with subsequent surgery.