A 44-year-old New York man has been awarded $30.3 million for career-ending injuries when he fell from a ladder five years ago.
Peter E. Bissell, of Sanborn, suffered severe spinal and other injuries Feb. 21, 2002, in a building then owned by the town of Amherst that he was repairing. The fall left him partly paralyzed. His attorneys said the ladder collapsed.
Last Thursday, after a two-week trial in state Supreme Court, the jury ordered insurance carriers for the former McGonigle & Hilger Roofing Co. to pay the sum.
In 2005, another jury found the town liable for Bissell’s injuries under state Labor Law. The town countersued McGonigle & Hilger.
Court officials said Amherst is self-insured for up to $10 million, meaning a verdict against the town could have forced a dramatic hike in town property taxes. They said the verdict will likely be appealed.
Lawyers for the carriers could not immediately be reached to comment.
___
Information from: The Buffalo News, http://www.buffalonews.com
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Insured Loss Estimates Top $600M From Washington Fires, Testing New Commissioner 
The Nation’s Insurance Laboratory: What Liability Trends in California Mean for the Rest of the Country 
Hurricane Lowell Brings Heavy Rains as It Passes West of Hawaii 
We Should Be Paying More Attention to The New Wave of SMB Cyber Claims 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.