A Pennsylvania cement company has agreed to pay $12 million to the family of an ironworker who fell to his death while attempting to set up a temporary catwalk at the company’s plant in Stockertown.
In July 2021, the decedent Michael Pittman, who was employed by G&R Mineral Services, was tasked with replacing a catwalk between two cement coolers at a site for Hercules Cement Co. LLC. He fell 23 feet while trying to rearrange wooden planks to create a temporary work area, which lacked necessary safety equipment like fall protection and secure anchors.
The family’s personal injury workplace negligence lawsuit claimed that Hercules Cement’s unsafe practices and failure to adhere to industry safety standards contributed to the worker’s fatal accident. Specifically, the company was negligent in that it failed to provide proper safety measures, using substandard materials like thin planks that were not suitable for the task. The lack of safety harness attachment points and proper fall protection left workers vulnerable to accidents, the lawsuit claimed.
Pittman’s wife filed the personal injury workplace negligence lawsuit on behalf of his estate. The case reached a settlement in December 2024, avoiding a trial. A judge approved the $12 million settlement on March 12, 2025.
The $12 million is allocated 70% for wrongful death and 30% for survival action.
The estate’s law firm Kline & Specter garnered $4.8 million. The case was in the Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia.
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