Fatal Construction Accident Injury: A Morris County suit on behalf of a worker who died from injuries in a construction-site accident settled for $18.85 million. The plaintiff, then 23 was standing next to a forklift at a construction site, when a nearby backhoe reversed and its cab pivoted, crushing him between the two machines. He suffered spinal and internal injuries and died after he suffered a heart attack and doctors removed life support.
The suit claimed that the general contractor which owned the backhoe, was negligent because its review mirrors had been removed and there was no spotter to guide it. Also alleged was negligence by the construction manager, which did not have a safety manager on site. The plaintiffs’ attorney was construction accident lawyer Raymond Gill Jr. of Gill & Chamas in Woodbridge. The New Jersey Jury Verdict Review and Analysis stated that this Morris County case is one of the largest monetary settlements for the death of an unmarried man with no children in the history of the state.
