350 Lb. Cabinet Falls on Telecom Worker

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Our client, a 42-year-old telecommunications worker, was injured when a wall-mounted telecommunications cabinet, weighing 350 lbs., fell on him, striking him in the head. Although the accident happened at Columbus AFB in Mississippi, our client’s crew was based in San Antonio, Texas.  The cabinet had been installed the previous day by Defendantsā€™ employees.

As a result of the accident, our client suffered a traumatic brain injury, resulting in permanent deficits to his memory, cognition, mood, and personality.  The brain injury also caused him to develop a seizure disorder, for which he now takes anti-seizure medication. Our client also sustained a neck injury, necessitating a cervical spine laminectomy with the placement of rods and screws at C4-C6.  Despite surgical intervention, he continues to suffer chronic, neuropathic pain in his left shoulder and left arm, which prevents any meaningful use of his left arm.

Our law firm filed a lawsuit alleging that Defendants were negligent in:
a. Failing to properly mount the cabinet;
b. Failing to adequately screen their employees;
c. Failing to adequately train their employees regarding proper mounting techniques;
d. Failing to properly supervise their employees; and
e. Failing to take action to correct the improper mounting of the cabinet, despite actual, prior knowledge of the defective mounting.

Plaintiffs also asserted against Defendants theories of vicariously liability, including alter ego, piercing the corporate veil, single business enterprise, and respondeat superior.
Plaintiffs alleged the following damages:
Past medical expenses:   $166,661.39
Future medical expenses:   $907,407.00
Loss of earning capacity (past & future): $665,782.00.

Our attorneys took numerous witness depositions and retained some of the country’s leading experts in the field of neuroscience. The settlement reached was the culmination of more than two years of work by the Crosley legal team. The lead attorney on the case was Tom Crosley.

The case settled before trial for $2,930,000.  After a 40% attorney fee and reimbursement of $55,000 in case expenses, the client’s net recovery was $1,703,000.00.