Paralyzed Worker Awarded $36 Million Settles Case Against Pepco

BALTIMORE, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A construction worker who was significantly burned and paralyzed as the result of a fall at a Potomac Electric Power Company substation and awarded nearly $36 million for his injuries by a Maryland jury in October, has settled his lawsuit against the company for a confidential amount, attorneys with Janet, Jenner & Suggs announced today.

"The settlement will allow this young man to start receiving the quality of medical care he needs, which is the most important thing. He's got a long life ahead of him and wants to live it as fully as possible," said Robert K. Jenner, co-counsel for the plaintiff.

"We're grateful to the jury for its verdict, which encouraged PEPCO to settle for a fair amount, and also acknowledges that companies are responsible for the safety of their workers, including subcontractors," said Justin Browne, also a Janet, Jenner & Suggs attorney and co-counsel for the plaintiff. 

During the litigation process but before trial began, faced with overwhelming evidence of its culpability, PEPCO conceded liability. 

The worker was erecting scaffolding near high voltage transformers when he was struck by an electrical arc that burned him severely and caused him to fall to the ground, striking his head on scaffolding and breaking his neck.

According to his lawsuit, the worker had been assured repeatedly by PEPCO workers that electricity to the transformers had been shut off and it was safe to begin work.

The jury hearing the case in Circuit Court of Maryland for Montgomery County, originally awarded the injured worker nearly $36 million. This included $19.8 million for past and future medical expenses, $1.2 million for past and future lost wages, and $15 million in non-economic damages. Because jury awards for non-economic damages are capped in Maryland at $770,000, the $36 million award was later reduced to $21.7 million.

Most of the money will go toward the medical expenses for our client, who requires full-time medical care, Jenner noted.

The case is filed in the Circuit Court of Maryland for Montgomery County. The attorneys did not release the name of the worker in order to respect his privacy.

The plaintiff also was represented by lead trial of Yarborough Applegate LLC, as well as The Law Office of Paul Solomon Jajan.

About Janet, Jenner & Suggs

Janet, Jenner & Suggs is a national plaintiffs firm. Recent high profile cases handled by the firm include a $190 million settlement for some 9,000 patients of a Johns Hopkins gynecologist, accused in the largest sexual abuse case involving a single predator in U.S. history; representation of "Victim 6" in the child abuse scandal involving former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, and, in 2014 alone, tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for children who developed cerebral palsy as the result of medical malpractice.

Janet, Jenner & Suggs, maintains primary offices in Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Columbia, SC; New York, NY; Ashville, NC; satellite offices in several other states, and in the District of Columbia.

Contact: 
Teresa  Kelly
[email protected]
1-512-328-4276

SOURCE Janet, Jenner & Suggs