Kurt Zaner and Sarah McEahern of Zaner Harden Law made history scoring the largest premise liability verdict in Colorado history.
Their client, a construction worker with a wife and three young boys, was severely injured on his first day at a new construction site. When the worker showed up at the job site, he found there was no power. He discovered the wiring in the house was not yet connected, and the outlets of the temporary electrical box were not working. The worker started his basic troubleshooting at the temporary breaker box. After opening the cover and flipping the middle breaker, the panel exploded. The explosion sent a bolt of electricity through the worker’s body, and it exited through a metal bracelet on his wrist.
The worker sustained career-ending injuries and would ultimately be diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic condition causes the central nervous system to malfunction. The plaintiff continues to experience heat flashes, body temperature changes, shooting pain and a burning sensation in his feet and stabbing throbbing pains in his arms. He will never be able to work, play with his boys or provide for his family as he did before the tragic accident.
A local electric company was responsible for wiring the temporary breaker boxes around the construction site. The electric company denied claims that the box was dangerous, and instead blamed the victim for accessing the inside of the energized box (rather than calling a licensed electrician) and his employer for improperly training him. The electric company also got rid of the electrical box before the lawsuit was filed, making it difficult to determine the condition of the box and the cause of the explosion. The exact date of disposal and the company’s reasons for disposing of it were never clear. Zaner and McEahern refused to back down and even built a similar temporary breaker box to be used a demonstrative aid in trial.
The jury found in favor of the plaintiff and found the electric company 100% responsible for his injuries. The jury awarded the plaintiff $15,991,200 in non-economic losses, economic and physical damages.
Advocate Capital, Inc. is proud to support Zaner Harden Law and all plaintiff attorneys as they fight for justice on behalf of those injured through the fault of others. The attorneys and staff at Zaner Harden Law take pride in their profession and are proud to represent their clients as they face and fight corporate giants.
Zaner Harden Law is located in Downtown Denver, with office locations in Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colorado. The firm specializes in plaintiff injury and represents clients in Motor Vehicle Accidents, Insurance Disputes, and Defective Products & Drugs matters.
Advocate Capital Inc. would like to Congratulate Kurt Zaner, Sarah McEahern and the entire Zaner Harden Law team on a job well done!
Executive Client Manager II
