Lawsuit Continues Over Illinois Construction Worker’s Death
Sep 5, 2014
Chicago, IL (Law Firm Newswire) September 5, 2014 – A wrongful death lawsuit over last year’s construction accident on the Northwestern University campus, which resulted in the death of an iron worker, is pressing forward.
Michael Kerr, 57, was killed on May 16, 2013 when a crane knocked a 70-pound beam off the sixth floor of a new building being constructed on campus. Kerr was standing on the ground floor when the 16-foot beam struck him in the head and chest. He was pronounced dead two hours later at Evanston Hospital. Kerr’s son, also named Michael Kerr, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against general contractor Power Construction.
“Far too many workers are killed in construction accidents,” said Robert Briskman, a Chicago construction accident attorney not involved in the case. “If the contractor was negligent, then a wrongful death lawsuit is appropriate to gain compensation for the family.”
Depositions are proceeding in the four-count lawsuit, which seeks a minimum of $200,000 in damages. According to the lawsuit, Power Construction failed to follow proper safety precautions, including inspecting the work environment and securing building materials properly.
In addition to the lawsuit, the accident led the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to conduct a months-long investigation into the incident. In November, OSHA issued a citation to Power Construction, saying that the company failed to protect subcontractor workers from the danger of falling objects. The violation was classified as “serious,” and the company was ordered to pay a $7,000 fine and conduct training to prevent displacement of objects such as the beam that killed Kerr. An OSHA representative said that the company had met its obligations in regards to the citation.
Learn more at http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/practice-areas/workers-compensation/
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
351 West Hubbard Street, Ste 810
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312.222.0010
Facebook: Like Us!
Google Places: Contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer from Briskman Briskman & Greenberg on Google Places!
- Illinois workers’ compensation medical fee schedule under scrutiny
In 2011, an across-the-board 30 percent cut was implemented in medical fee schedules for the Illinois workers’ compensation system. Some observers say that medical fees in the workers’ compensation system are now so low that doctors and other medical professionals may be reluctant to treat injured workers. Doctors report that workers’ compensation payments are now […] - Illinois sees decrease in malpractice payouts and Drunk drivers get a second chance – Podcast
Diedrich Healthcare performed an analysis of 2013 medical malpractice payments that were recorded by the National Practitioner Data Bank. The insurer found that medical malpractice payouts in Illinois decreased by $28 million from 2012 to 2013. Plus, a new bill is introduced to give drunk drivers a second chance on this month’s Chicago Injury Alert. - Chicago jury awards fourteen million dollars in medical malpractice lawsuit
A Chicago jury recently awarded $14 million to the plaintiff in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The plaintiff, Mariola Zapalski, was prescribed the birth control drug Yasmin. After taking the medication for 13 days, she suffered a stroke that resulted in a permanent brain injury and the paralysis of her left side. She now requires around-the-clock […] - Wrongful death lawsuit filed over drowning death after swan attack
The wife of a Villa Park man who died after being attacked by a swan has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the man’s employer and against the condo complex where he was working when he died. According to the lawsuit, Anthony Hensley had responsibility over two swans in the Bay Colony condo complex in […] - Eleven million dollar birth injury lawsuit over Topamax stands
In a recent birth injury lawsuit, a jury award of $11 million will stand after a judge denied a defendant’s motion for a new trial. The jury made the award in November 2013 in a lawsuit over birth injuries suffered by a child whose mother, Haley Powell, used the antiepileptic drug Topamax during pregnancy. The […]
