Jury Awards Seattle Firefighter $12.75 Million

A Seattle firefighter who was injured when he fell down a pole hole in King County, Wash., has been awarded $12.75 million by a King County Superior Court judge.

Mark Jones, of Bothell, Wash., was physically injured and suffered brain damage after falling 15 feet down a fire station pole shaft in 2003. When his family sought remediation for his injuries, the city appealed the decision, and showed video footage of him chopping wood, dancing and playing horseshoes.

However, the judge said the video tapes did not prove fraud, as it was only selected moments and did not indicate the level of brain damage.