The law guarantees every American worker the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. Tragically, that promise is far from a reality. Workers and their families turn to Raynes McCarty nearly every day after accidents that occur in almost every work setting, including construction sites, steel mills, oil refineries, chemical processing plants, and distribution facilities.
Raynes McCarty attorneys are committed to fighting for the financial security that affected families require. We also make great efforts to ensure that more workers aren't hurt in the same way. Many Raynes McCarty cases result in safer work practices, redesigned products, and revamped training. One of our attorneys has received the Karen Silkwood award from the Philadelphia Area Project of Occupational Safety and Health (PhilaPOSH) for his tireless efforts to promote workplace safety.
Our lawyers are frequently selected to teach and write about how to investigate and proceed with representing victims of unsafe workplaces. Click here to read an ATLA Trial article by Martin K. Brigham.
Examples of some injured workers we've helped include:
- $13,500,000.00 confidential settlement for construction site injury. Mark was assigned to a highway repair job, which involved the use of truck mounted protective barriers. The barrier, hinged to the back of the truck, was lowered with a cable. Due to an unsafe design, the cable could become slack so that when a latch was released, the barrier would free fall without warning. As co-workers were attempting to lower the barrier, the latch dislodged and the barrier crashed down on Mark, partially paralyzing him. A team led by Jerry McHugh and Marty Brigham built a case that the design was defective, leading to a settlement which allowed Mark to provide for his needs and that of his young family.
- $11,100,000 Confidential Recovery for Burn Survivor A pipe fitter, working at a co-generation plant outside of Philadelphia, was badly burned when a bin of molten ash exploded, enveloping his body. Suit was filed by attorney Gerald A. McHugh, Jr. against a consortium of major, multinational corporations. Extensive reconstruction of the accident demonstrated flaws in the design and fabrication of the bin and its control system, resulting in a confidential settlement of $11.1 million for the burn survivor.
- $10,340,000 Recovery in Addition to Prior Confidential Settlement Lucent Technology's electricians certified to a crew of outside contractors that it was safe to enter a "de-energized" piece of electrical equipment. The assurance was false, the equipment had 12,470 volts flowing through it, and one of the contractor employees suffered severe electrical burns. Martin K. Brigham was lead trial counsel in the Allentown lawsuit against Lucent and the equipment manufacturer. The non-confidential portion of the settlement exceeded $10,340,000. The case was also "Spotlight"ed in ATLA's Law Reporter. Click here to read more about the case.
- Confidential Recovery for Worker Burned Because "Flame Retardant" Uniform Failed Working at a lead smelter, Tom was splattered with molten metal that had spilled from a crucible. The metal landed on his work uniform, which was supposed to be flame retardant. The uniform failed, and instead of self extinguishing, provided the fuel to transform, what would have been limited superficial burns, to burns over more than 70% of Tom' s body. Martin K. Brigham led the team of lawyers in the lawsuit against the uniform supplier. Mr. Brigham established that the uniform company had used the wrong type of fabric. By reenacting the accident with the proper fabric, he was able to establish that Tom' s injuries were directly related to the uniform' s failure. Mr. Brigham was able to secure a settlement for Tom that was described at the time as being the largest pre-trial settlement for a burn survivor in Pennsylvania' s federal courts.
- $8,000,000 Settlement for Electrical Contractor A sophisticated industrial property owner in Philadelphia designed the electrical wiring for its facility. When an outside contractor attempted to refit the wiring, he was severely burned in an electrical arc explosion. Arthur Raynes and Roy DeCaro were able to secure an $8 million settlement for the burn survivor.
- $7,200,000 Settlement in Forklift Accident Jim worked in a steel distribution warehouse, operating a specially designed forklift that was supposed to be guided down the narrow aisle by rails. Late one evening, co-workers heard Jim's scream. Running to his aid, they found his head pinned between the side of the forklift and the end of a shelf support. Unfortunately, Jim's brain damage was permanent. Thorough investigation revealed both that the forklift repair company had put the operator controls in backwards and that the warehouse designer had improperly spaced the guide rails. Using a videotape settlement brochure to demonstrate how the case would be presented at trial, Marty Brigham led the legal team that achieved a $7.2 million settlement for Jim. Click here to read more about the case.
- $4,500,000 Settlement for Electrician in Compressor Explosion While Mike was troubleshooting a commercial air conditioning unit, the compressor—made in 1954—overheated. The lubricating oil pressurized and exploded out through an electrical terminal, where a spark ignited the oil as it sprayed onto Mike. Even though Mike's employer had thrown out the compressor after the accident, Martin K. Brigham, lead trial counsel, was able to use photographs to identify the manufacturer, which led to the discovery that this style of compressor had caused many similar accidents. Mike's case settled for $4.5 million. Click here to read more about the case.
- $4,500,000 for Hand Burned in Press Marty worked a press that made DVDs; one morning his dominant hand became caught in the press at the point of operation, burning off his fingers and thumb. David Binder and Stephen Raynes prosecuted his claims against the manufacturer and distributor for failing to have a proper guard in place; they achieved a $4.5 million settlement.
- $3,100,000 Verdict for Acid Burn As John moved a large piece of equipment across the factory floor, it fell, smashing into a six gallon glass bottle of sulfuric acid that a co-worker had left sitting out. John slipped into the spreading puddle of acid, burning his shoulder, upper arm and neck. Since the chemical manufacturer knew that the acid bottle was to be used in a factory, Martin K. Brigham, lead trial counsel, argued that the bottle should have been encased in a heavy plastic wrap. Videotaped testing of a wrapped bottle withstanding heavy impacts convinced the jury to award $3.1 million to John and his wife. Click here to read more about the case.
- $3,000,000 Verdict for Hand Injury Margaret, 52 years old, ran a "blow mold machine" which fabricates plastic milk bottles. The machine had an emergency stop switch, but unfortunately it was not properly shielded. When Margaret accidentally hit the switch, it activated a part of the machine that crushed and burned two fingers. She lost half of her middle finger and half of her index finger on her non-dominant left hand. Roy DeCaro convinced a federal court jury to award Margaret $3 million. Click here to read more about the case.