$45 Million Jury Verdict in Failure to Inspect Unsafe Scaffolding

John Rooney, 51, was performing masonry work on the Longfellow Bridge when he fell 5 feet through a 2-foot gap in the scaffolding. He fell onto a pile of concrete debris.

Three weeks later, he was diagnosed with disk herniation in his lumbar and cervical spinal regions. Rooney underwent seven surgeries; he continues to experience chronic pain that affects his daily activities.

In addition, Rooney suffers from nerve damage to his bladder and bowels, resulting in incontinence. Rooney had earned $79 per hour, but he is now disabled and cannot work.

Rooney sued the project’s general contractor, a joint venture formed by J.F. White Contracting Co., Skanska AB, and Consigli Construction Co., alleging that the defendants chose not to inspect and maintain the scaffolds that workers used on the project. In his suit, he also alleged that they had failed to provide adequate fall protection as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The jury that heard this case signed a verdict for more than $45 million, including pre-trial interest.

The attorneys successfully handling this case for Rooney were Melissa Ann Brennan, Andrew Abraham, Martin Sabounjian and Harrison Lebov.

Rooney v. J.F. White Contracting Group, No. 1581CV05652 (Mass. Super. Ct. Middlesex County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling construction accident lawsuits, scaffolding injury lawsuits, catastrophic injury lawsuits, and wrongful death cases for individuals, families and loved ones who have been injured, harmed or killed by the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 45 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Alsip, Calumet Park, Blue Island, Worth, Elmhurst, South Elgin, Bartlett, Batavia, St. Charles, Wheaton, Hinsdale, Glendale Heights, Itasca, Inverness, Deerfield, Hawthorne Woods, Lake Bluff, Chicago (Rogers Park, Lincoln Square, Logan Square, Bucktown, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Mont Clare, Austin, Garfield Park, West Town, Near West Side, North Lawndale, Little Village, Englewood, Chicago Lawn, South Shore, Roseland), Burbank, Palos Park, Western Springs, River Forest and Schiller Park, Ill.

Robert D. Kreisman has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976.