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  • $1 Million Jury Award for Machine Operator in Spiral Weld Machine Accident

    Lehman v. Pacific Roller & Die Company

    Case Summary:

    Our client was a 48-year-old machine operator employed by a pipe manufacturing company who fell from a spiral weld machine and sustained injury to his back and legs.  On the day of the accident our client was working with the spiral weld machine used to produce pipes.  The spiral pipes were formed on a portion of the machine called the forming station.  Two elevated tables about four feet above the ground supported the forming station.  Our client climbed onto the forming station and stepped over a pipe to check its alignment.  As he stepped over the pipe he slipped and fell to the floor.

    The spiral weld machine, designed and manufactured by defendant Pacific Roller & Die Company, was defective as designed because the defendant should have anticipated that operators of the machine would have to climb onto the forming station for reasons similar to that of our client and the forming station was made from a slippery material.  The platform of the forming station could have been constructed from an open web grating or treated with a skid resistant material, either of which would have prevented an accident like the one suffered by our client.

    As a result of the accident our client suffered injury to the muscular support system of the sacrum, which resulted in intermittent pain radiating to his left leg. Our client missed seven months of work due to the injury, and upon his return, was only able to work for five hours a day or else he would suffer from muscle spasms.  The inability to work a full day greatly limited our client’s earning capacity.

    Outcome:

    After a five-day trial the jury awarded our client $1 million.  The award included $238,000 to our client’s wife for loss of consortium. The defective equipment case was handled by Philadelphia products liability attorney, Richard M. Jurewicz of Galfand Berger. For more information on this case, please contact the Mr. Jurewicz at [email protected] or call the law offices of Galfand Berger at 1-800-222-USWA (8792).