IronWorker Fractures Wrist Due To Lack Of Cribbing Between Beams ($1.6 Million)


The Horwitz lead trial team reached a $1.6 million settlement for an ironworker who suffered a fracture of the wrist. This resulted in a wrist fusion and an end to his career in ironwork.

The Case

The worker was involved in the iron erection of a building. Steel beams were shipped to the site where there was a discrepancy in the stacking of wood between the beams.

In-Depth Look

The attorneys at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates demonstrated that the fabricator improperly placed 2×4 pieces of wood between the beams, when in fact the fabricators should have used 4×4 pieces of wood. The fabricator initially blamed the mistake on the worker’s employer but then settled after opening statements during trial.

The case was filed under the Structural Work Act, which has since been repealed in Illinois.