According to EIN News, a migrant worker was awarded $16.5 in a personal injury lawsuit against a former construction employer. Antonio Acevedo came to the United States legally and was hired to work at an Opa-locka warehouse. A catastrophic construction accident left Acevedo paralyzed.
According to lawsuit details, the employer required workers to work on the roof and desk of the building, despite that the roof was crumbling and a no-entry order was in placed by the company occupying the building. Acevedo was injured when the deck collapsed beneath him, causing him to fall 20 feet onto the concrete floor. The plaintiff sustained severe injuries including a fractured spine, skull fracture, paralysis and memory problems. Acevedo was in a coma for three months following the fall, according to the suit.
Acevedo filed a personal injury lawsuit alleging the company required employees to work on an unsafe roof and deck. The defense claimed the employer had no knowledge of danger on the roof.
A jury awarded Acevedo $16.5 million for past and future damages, including lost wages and compensation for pain and suffering.
Construction work is dangerous and employees can suffer injuries while at work. However, the plaintiff’s attorney argued that the employer felt migrant laborers were disposable workers and negligently did not monitor worker safety. Acevedo was hired as a roofer but fell through a decomposed roof becoming paralyzed from the chest down, even though the employer was warned about roof danger but deliberately concealed danger from workers, the complaint claimed.
