Carpenter Told To Erect Balloon Wall Without Crane ($1 Million)


A Local 272 Union Carpenter recovered $1 million after suffering a severe back injury, which resulted from a work-related accident.

The Case

The union carpenter was working on a residential job site in Bollingbrook, Illinois. While the carpenter was positioned on a balloon wall, a crane swung a second balloon wall into the on he was positioned on. The carpenter fell sixteen to eighteen feet.

In-Depth Look

The carpenter’s attorneys, Clifford Horwitz and Jay Luchsinger, of Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, demonstrated that the defendant failed to follow standard practices in hoisting and placing balloon walls.

Attorney Jay Luchsinger noted, “Defendant had a clear view of our client up on the wall in order to tie it in. The wall should not have been swung in such windy conditions, particularly with no taglines attached.”

The million-dollar settlement followed a lengthy and heavily disputed litigation.

Clifford Horwitz explained, “Our client would rather have his health than this recovery.”