Injured welder to receive $4.2 million in damages after foot injury
A jury awarded an injured welder $8.4 million in damages for an injury he received to his foot while working in Freeport. The victim, Ignacio Llamas, will receive at least $4.2 million as a result of a settlement and the award made in the negligence lawsuit.
The accident occurred in February of 2007. Llamas was welding when a molten piece of metal broke loose. The piece of metal burned through his protective clothing and slid down into his boot, burning his foot.
The jury found that three companies shared responsibility for Llamas’ accident. Certified Safety Specialists was assigned 50% of the blame, meaning that they will pay half the amount awarded by the jury. Altair Strickland was assigned 19% of the verdict; while Turnaround Welding Services was assigned 30%.
The jury did find that Llamas bore some responsibility, assigning him 1% of the blame.
One of the two contractors, Altair Strickland, entered into a settlement with Llamas just before the jury returned with its verdict. As a result, only one of the contractors, Certified Specialists, will be held to the jury’s verdict.
Because Turnaround Welding Services participates in the workers’ compensation program, the company will not have to pay out on the verdict.
According to allegations made in the lawsuit, those involved in the lawsuit were negligent because Llamas was not wearing the leather boots typically worn by welders. Normally, a welder’s pants fit over top of their boots. The rubber boots, by contrast, fit over top of Llamas’ jeans, leaving a gap for the molten metal to fall down his boot and onto his foot.
According to the lawsuit, Llamas’ injury was made worse when a Certified Safety Specialist employee told him to go to another doctor who did not properly treat him. Llamas developed an infection and was required to go to a burn unit.
For more on this negligence lawsuit that originated from a workplace injury, click here to read the complete article.
If you have been injured on the job, contact Fears | Nachawati today for a free legal consultation. You’ll receive free legal advice from a Texas workplace injury attorney. You can email us atinfo@fnlawfirm.com or call our toll-free number at 1.866.705.7584.
