A 44-year-old New York man has been awarded $30.3 million for career-ending injuries when he fell from a ladder five years ago.
Peter E. Bissell, of Sanborn, N.Y., suffered severe spinal and other injuries in 2002, in a building then owned by the town of Amherst he was repairing. The fall left him partially paralyzed. His attorneys said the ladder collapsed.
After a two-week trial in state Supreme Court, the jury ordered insurance carriers for the former McGonigle & Hilger Roofing Co. to pay the sum. In 2005, another jury found the town liable for Bissell’s injuries under state Labor Law. The town countersued McGonigle & Hilger.
Court officials said Amherst is self-insured for up to $10 million, meaning a verdict against the town could have forced a dramatic hike in town property taxes. They said the verdict will likely be appealed.
Topics New York
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Cost of Howden-Driven Talent War Rises to $31M for Brown & Brown 
Another Appeals Court Balks at Class Action Over Auto Insurers’ ACV Methods 
Upstate New York Agent Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $50M From Neighbors 
California Insurance Commissioner Race Has Diverse Field Amid ‘Insurance Crisis’ From This Issue
