Worker’s comp shields companies from expensive lawsuits (most of the time) when a worker is injured on the job. But injured workers can file — and win — expensive lawsuits against third parties involved in the incidents.
A jury in Indiana recently awarded an employee $24 million after a 17-foot fall from a ladder that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Anthony Arciniega, 42, fell at ISG Burns Harbor steel mill, now known as ArcelorMittal.
Arciniega fell from a ladder that was covered with concrete.
The employee wasn’t able to sue his employer, but he did sue a contractor, Minteq International.
A court found Minteq negligent in the incident, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Large awards are more common in cases involving paralysis, according to injuryboard.com because of the lifetime costs of medical care and home modifications.
