$5.6M Verdict | Tractor-Trailer Crash | New York
$5.6M Verdict | Tractor-Trailer Crash | New York This is a distracted driving case involving a tractor-trailer driver’s choice to ignore road
In this labor law case, the Plaintiff was underground in a tunnel system. His job was to remove all of the over hanging pipe and wiring. The Plaintiff was to unstrap the heavy pipe and pass it to his co-worker (who was outside the tunnel) to cut. The pipe comes in 10ft lengths, with 3-4 lengths screwed together. The Plaintiff would remove a U-bolt off of a section and the pipe section would fall while still hanging onto the next section. By the time the Plaintiff got to the last section, the weight was too much, and the strap could not be loosened. While he paused to try to figure out how to remove the last 100lb section of pipe safely, the U-bolt broke from the ceiling, causing the entire section of pipe to fall on his face, head and neck.
Total Trial Solutions was asked to create an animation to establish just how dangerous it was for the Plaintiff to remove the pipe without any extra assistance and in an unsafe environment. Our objectives were:
• Create the tunnel system.
• Establish how poor the lighting conditions were.
• Demonstrate how the pipe falls from the ceiling after each U-bolt is removed.
• Show how the pipe fell on the Plaintiff, resulting in a horrible head injury.
We started the animation with a cross section of the tunnel, allowing us to see a view we normally wouldn’t be able to see. This section was about 90 feet long. There were steps leading down into the tunnel, followed by a series of lights above that ended after 50ft. At the other end of the tunnel was a ladder that lead up to a manhole. These were important elements to note because it showed one part of how unsafe the working conditions were due to lack of light.
At this fixed angle, the Plaintiff made his way from one end of the tunnel to the other, while making stops at the U-bolts to loosen and remove them. We also took notice of how cramped the working space is. The Plaintiff needed to have his knees bent the entire time, since he was unable to stand straight in the tunnel system.
This time the camera tracks backwards with the Plaintiff. We follow along his actions until he gets to the last bolt. We again see the pipe sections fall as the U-bolts are removed. This also has a clear sightline of when the Plaintiff took a moment to think about how to remove the last section. Unaware that the pipe was about to fall and change his life forever.
$5.6M Verdict | Tractor-Trailer Crash | New York This is a distracted driving case involving a tractor-trailer driver’s choice to ignore road
$3.5M Settlement | Construction | New York This case involves the failure of a general contractor/property owner to ensure that their subcontractor’s
$12.75M Settlement | Premises Liability | Pennsylvania This case involves a delivery driver who fell approximately nine feet from an elevated platform
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