Man Crushed to Death Due to Forklift Operator Negligence
Facts and Allegations
A 55-year-old tractor-trailer driver, loving husband and devoted father to 2 adult children, was crushed to death by a heavy crate as it was being loaded into his box trailer by a forklift operator. The forklift operator, whose responsibility it was to safely load the multi-thousand-pound crates into the trailer, failed to tightly load the previous crates, leaving the last 7 foot long crate hanging over the edge by almost 3 feet. When the forklift operator pulled his forks out from under the crate, it began to teeter and quickly dropped to the ground, crushing the tractor-trailer driver’s right leg and multiple vertebrae in his lower back.
The driver underwent multiple surgeries and was hospitalized for months recovering from all of his injuries. Approximately 3 months after the injury and after only being home for a few days, he developed a terrible bacterial infection that took his life a few days later.
After filing suit and investigating the cause of the crate’s fall, Tony Denena, shareholder at Denena Points, PC, was able to negotiate a settlement for the deceased’s wife and 2 adult children.
Result
- Settlement Awarded: $1,000,000.00
- Less Attorney’s Fees: $400,000.00
- Less Case Expenses: $19,930.44
- Net to Clients: $580,069.56