We would like to say congratulations to our friend Michael Yonke of Yonke Law, LLC for the recent settlement of $1.5 million.
Falls are a leading cause of injuries and deaths on construction sites, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On November 25, 2015, the Plaintiff was working as a welder, his first day on a new construction site. As he was examining his work space, he fell into a stairwell shaft that had not been properly barricaded. The Plaintiff suffered severe injuries and subsequently will never be able to work again.
The construction site was under the control of a local religious organization that was attempting to build a new facility. The Contractor for the site was composed of a construction committee elected by the Board of Trustees for the organization. This committee oversaw the subcontractors and the progression of the construction.
After a previous subcontracted welder could not complete the task to the committee’s timeline, a new subcontractor employing the Plaintiff was hired. As part of that contract, it was agreed that certain safety requirements would need to be updated prior to work being started by the subcontractor. The committee denies this conversation took place.
Thorough research of the OSHA regulations finds that the General Contractor, in this case, the committee, as well as the subcontractor were jointly responsible for safety on a construction site. The case was settled due to the hard work and dedication of our friends at Yonke Law, LLC.
Everyone here at Advocate Capital, Inc., would like to say thank you for your dedication to your clients and your community.
Executive Client Manager
