A 44-year-old plumber was injured while renovating a mixed-use building on Central Park South in Manhattan. He was in the middle of repairing a leaking pipe when he slipped on plastic sheeting that had been laid down to temporarily protect a staircase leading to the subway station below the building. The fall caused serious harm. He suffered injuries that required surgery to his lumbar spine, right shoulder, and ankle. On top of that, he sustained additional injuries to his neck, head, and both wrists, leaving him with a long and difficult road to recovery.
The defendant building owner and general contractor tried to avoid responsibility. They argued the accident was the plaintiff’s own fault and claimed his injuries existed before the accident ever happened. But these arguments didn’t hold up under scrutiny. The evidence made clear that the hazardous plastic sheeting, left on the staircase without proper caution, was the true cause of his fall and his injuries. In the end, our client secured a settlement of $3,250,000, a result that held the responsible parties accountable and reflected the true extent of the harm he suffered.