When we buy an essential piece of equipment like a ladder, we have a right to expect it to bear our weight and to keep us safe. Sadly, this was not the case with a Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers client who suffered severe injuries after a ladder failure in Norfolk.
Our client is a disabled former Navy military policeman. He purchased a ladder online for work in his Norfolk home.
The former Navy policeman had no way of knowing this ladder was made from chipboard. The ladder collapsed and dumped him onto a cement floor, causing severe injuries.
Our client suffered serious injuries including multiple vertebral fractures, multiple rib fractures, nerve damage to lower extremity, and a broken hip.
After hiring Cooper Hurley lawyer John Cooper, following this catastrophic ladder failure in Norfolk, the manufacturer and installer were notified and a site inspection was held.
It confirmed that the ladder was made and designed defectively. The ladder system could not have maintained the amount of weight that it claimed to be rated for and likely violated the industry standards for testing and performance.
Although our client suffered some pre-existing back and leg conditions, the diagnostic testing from before and after the fall pointed to a severe worsening of the numbness and dysfunction in his leg. A surgical procedure was required for harm to the sciatic nerve.
We presented the case to the lawyers representing the ladder manufacturer before filing suit. There was limited insurance coverage of $1 million.
A settlement of $925,000 was reached. The slight reduction from the full amount of the available insurance reflected the discount needed to get the case resolved immediately and was probably less than the costs of litigation. The maker and seller of the ladder had gone out of business by the time the claim was being handled.
We were happy to have been able to make a difference to the future of a Norfolk veteran who served his country and was badly injured due to no fault of his own. His presentation as an honest, family man with a wife and daughter helped the insurance company to make the right decision.
This case was a good example of how complex litigation can be resolved effectively when both sides work cooperatively to analyze a case and did not require filing suit or even mediation.
Every day someone in America is injured or killed by products intended to make their lives easier. This ladder failure in Norfolk should never have occurred.
Big companies often cut corners with the safety of their customers and put profits above safety. We see this most graphically with big pharma. A host of pills and other dangerous medical devices put patients in unnecessary danger.
The dangers are seldom apparent. For instance, the Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA recently recalled chests of drawers and dressers after they toppled over killing children.
If you or a loved one has been hurt by defective equipment, automobile parts, or other products please call our Norfolk, VA injury lawyers at (757) 333-3333.
