Man found partially liable yet awarded damages in construction accident
Many know how dangerous construction work can be. The recent crane collapse in New York is a heinous example. Construction workers may not know they have a legal right to seek compensation for injuries incurred on the jobsite. On a relatively small scale, recently a Newark, N.J. man who fractured his ankle while working for a framing subcontractor was awarded more than $500,000 for his injury by a jury. Jose Gualberto was using a 10-foot ladder to install joist hangar brackets when the ladder slipped. His leg got caught between rungs and severely broke his ankle in three places. He has amassed more than $50,000 in medical bills so far and still needs more surgery. While Gualberto was found 11 percent liable, the subcontractors were also found liable by the jury. Each company is responsible for a portion of the award. It is imperative that construction workers consult legal advice as an accident, through little fault of their own, can change their life forever.
