$3.5 Million Dollar Settlement for Electrocuted Worker

Paramedics gave a horrifying account of what they found on the scene at a factory. “Patient was on his knees yelling in pain...we could see skin hanging from his right arm.” The rescuers were told he was working on a machine when someone turned the power back on. John Doe was hit with 12,000 volts of electricity and caught on fire.

The family called Pajcic & Pajcic, and an attorney traveled with John’s mother from Jacksonville to the burn unit in Jackson, Mississippi where he was being treated. She brought him love and support. The Pajcics got to work.

Most people injured on the job assume that worker’s compensation is all there is. When the injury is catastrophic, Pajcic & Pajcic prides itself on finding other avenues of recovery despite WC immunity.

Pajcic attorneys put together a team of liability experts from across the country, inspected the factory and deposed two dozen fact witnesses. The findings were damning. The Pajcics presented a credible case for punitive damages: for decades, in violation of OSHA and other federal standards, the multi-national corporation had been utilizing a hand-drawn sketch to operate its industrial factory. On the day of the incident, without notice, the facilities manager unilaterally drilled out and dismantled a safety lock which re-energized the high voltage system

John was cleaning. It resulted in his catastrophic and agonizingly painful burn injuries. John Doe underwent multiple surgeries including skin grafts.

The defense had a multi-pronged strategy: plead ignorance, shift blame, deny responsibility, claim worker’s compensation immunity, and when all else failed, rely on an unfair $1 million cap on pain and suffering damages. But the threat of punitive damages, together with a determined client, resulted in the recovery of $3.5 million.

John vowed to never let the horrific accident define him. He went back to work full-time starting a new career with the U.S. Postal Service. He is not planning to spend a penny of his settlement. Unless, of course, his mom wants a new house.