Recovery After Mediation for Cable Company Employee
WRSMH attorney, Cliff Shapiro obtained an $850,000 recovery for a cable company employee who was injured on the job when he fell from a ladder. Our client, who was 33 years old at the time, was performing a routine installation when the accident occurred. Evidently, the worker was installing and upgrading residential cable systems from a telephone pole when he fell 22 feet from his ladder. He sustained a comminuted fracture of his right calcaneus (heel). Although the plaintiff had minimal medical treatment, his orthopedist recommended sub-talar hind foot/subfusion, which he did not pursue.
Approximately one month prior to trial, we presented our theory of liability at a mediation. Cliff contended that the primary cause of our client's injuries were due to the cable company's failure to provide him with proper safety equipment, including safety belts, straps and a ladder equipped with cable hooks. The defendant was in violation of Labor Law Section 240(1); therefore, we were able to convince the defendant's attorney that we were fully prepared to prove this theory of liability at trial and subsequently, were able to obtain a settlement.