The Defendant, J.F. White Contracting Company and the joint venture partners, was found to be negligent which resulted in the permanent disability of a union steward. The $26.6 Million jury verdict with accumulated interest totals $45 Million.
Woburn, Mass.: Justice has been served with another record-breaking verdict, this time in Middlesex County. As of August 2021, Keches Law Group now has the two largest verdicts in Massachusetts for 2021, in addition to the largest verdict in Massachusetts for 2020.
On Wednesday, August 4th, a Middlesex County jury awarded $26.6 million to a union mason steward who was seriously hurt while working on a complex rehabilitation of the Longfellow Bridge. The verdict, with interest, totals over $45 million. The Longfellow Bridge, spanning the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, was first constructed over 100 years ago. A joint venture between three large construction companies was responsible for completing a restoration project on the historical landmark.
On May 9th, 2014, the steward’s life changed forever. According to case #1581CV05652 in Middlesex Superior Court, the steward fell over five feet through a two-foot hole in the scaffolding he was working on and landed violently on a pile of concrete debris. The scaffolding was not fully planked at the time of his fall in violation of state and federal safety regulations. This construction accident had significant consequences. The Steward sustained severe injuries to his back, neck, and legs. Upon medical evaluation, he had to endure seven spinal operations and nine total operations that resulted in his spine being largely fused together.
Attorneys Andrew Abraham, Harrison Lebov, and Martin Sabounjian of Keches Law Group, and Attorney Melissa Brennan of Feinberg, Dumont & Brennan represented the plaintiff. The trial lasted eight days, and the jury deliberated for just under three hours.
“The Joint Venture in this case made promises to keep this job safe and did not keep these promises, leaving workers in danger. I hope this verdict will tell construction companies that safety regulations need to be followed and not forgotten,” said Attorney Abraham of the monumental verdict, “No amount of money can undo the steward’s injuries; unfortunately, he will live with them forever, but this verdict will help tremendously with the quality of life for him and his family.”
“The compassion and well wishes the jurors gave our client after delivering the verdict was particularly moving to him and me,” said Attorney Brennan while describing Wednesday’s events. “He has waited a long time to tell his story and for justice ” she added.
According to Brennan, the Steward intends to use a portion of his recovery for a donation to the BAC Local #3 Apprentice & Training Center in recognition of the fact that he and his father have been proud members of Local 3 for a combined total of 100 years.
About Feinberg, Dumont & Brennan
Feinberg, Dumont & Brennan is a partnership of Feinberg & Brennan, P.C. (founded in 1983) and Dumont, Morris & Burke, P.C. (founded in 1988) that represents a broad spectrum of labor unions, their members, and their affiliated pension and welfare benefit plans, including Teamster, Construction, IATSE, AFM, Longshoremen, Police, Firefighters, and Correction Officers.
About Keches Law Group
The Keches Law Group has become one of the largest and most well-respected personal injury law firms in New England with our 42 lawyers having a combined 800 plus years of experience fighting to protect the rights of injured people who are facing difficult times after an accident or injury. We have a no-fee policy unless we win your case and a proven track record with over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements won for our clients. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please visit: Kecheslaw.com
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