Workplace Injuries Attorney in Los Angeles, California

$4.6 Million Recovery for Burn Injury: The case of the loose bolt

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The Vincent v. Sasay case settled for $4.6 million. And that was an interesting case. The plaintiff was an electrical worker who was putting a new meter into a new panel for a sports fitness facility. And what he didn’t know is as he’s putting in this panel the workers before had left a bolt inside the panel. So when he’s trying to squeeze this new meter in, the bolt drops, and causes an arc explosion that comes up and overwhelms his personal protective equipment and burned his face very badly. What was great about the medical care that he received is that it’d be very hard for you and me to see what happened to him a couple years later. He looked fine but he wasn’t, of course, and he was in a lot of pain. Physical pain and also, you know, emotional pain. It became very difficult for him to approach his job the same way because of the fear that the unexpected would happen again. So it was a real betrayal in that case that a worker who’s relying on a safe place to do his job had something like that happened. And I’m happy we were able to bring some justice to him. And you know, he stayed on the job, he changed his job duties, you know, what shows his grit is he’s still working today.

Los Angeles, CA personal injury attorney Thomas Johnston talks about a case he worked on where a man was badly burned on the job. He recalls the Vincent v. Sasay case, which settled for $4.6 million. The plaintiff was an electrical worker installing a new meter in a panel at a sports fitness facility. Unbeknownst to him, a previous worker had left a bolt inside the panel. As he tried to fit the new meter, the bolt fell, causing an arc explosion that overwhelmed his personal protective equipment and severely burned his face.

Thanks to excellent medical care, a few years later it would have been hard for an outsider to see the extent of his injuries—but he continued to endure significant physical and emotional pain. The incident made it difficult for him to approach his work without fear that another unexpected accident could occur. The case highlighted the betrayal a worker experiences when a supposedly safe workplace fails them. He takes pride that they were able to secure justice for the plaintiff. Despite the ordeal, the worker remained on the job, adjusted his duties, and continues to work today—a testament to his resilience and determination.

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