Published: February 16, 2009
$500,000 settlement
The plaintiff was injured when the shoring of a load-bearing wall failed, causing a sudden collapse of the ceiling and trapping his hand between a large ceiling beam and the wall below.
According to the plaintiff, evidence showed that the defendant failed to erect proper shoring for the job by not obtaining an engineer’s drawing and not determining the weight of the ceiling or the shoring capacity of the equipment used.
An engineering survey, required by Massachusetts Building Code and OSHA regulations, had been undertaken for a previously demolished external wall, but not of the subject wall.
The plaintiff suffered a crush injury to his left, non-dominant hand that resulted in extensive injuries to his left middle and ring finger. The ring finger eventually had to be amputated. The plaintiff underwent several surgeries to make the hand more functional but contended that he would be unable to return to work in construction due to his permanent injuries.