New York construction accident lawyers settle three illegal immigrants' cases

Thursday, 18 June 2009

New York construction accident lawyers recently settled three illegal immigrants' cases for a total of $3.85 million, The New York Times reports.

A 33-year-old Mexican plumber who was badly burned by an exploding pipe got the largest award of the trio, with $2.5 million in damages. The other two awards went to a 52-year-old Mexican worker whose foot was crushed by a steel beam and a 36-year-old Ecuadorean roofer who fractured his hip after a number of 200-pound tresses collapsed on him. They were awarded $750,000 and $600,000, respectively.

The Times article stresses information that is not news to the best New York construction accident lawyers: illegal immigrants have the same right to seek damages as a worker who is in the country legally.

As New York construction accident attorney David Perecman has said, "When you're standing up on a scaffold 70 feet off the ground for ten dollars an hour, your boss calls you hard-working cheap labor. After you fall and break up your body, NOW you're an illegal alien. When juries hear that, they get angry at the defense for even having brought it up."

Not only would mentioning a plaintiff's immigration status rile up juries - it would also be largely irrelevant to the case. As the Times points out, in the 2006 case Balbuena v. I.D.R. Realty L.L.C., the New York State Court of Appeals (the highest court in the state) affirmed that illegal immigrants have the right to compensation for workplace accidents.

While hardly groundbreaking news, it is good to see the Times devoting some space to this issue. For people not steeped in New York personal injury news and arcana it would be easy to assume illegal immigrants do not have the right to seek these damages. Now, at least a few people know better.

[The New York Times via City Room]

$40,000,000 (4)

Medical malpractice. Child's brain damage
$15,208,168.00 (1)

Construction worker fell from a ladder, jury verdict
$10,000,000.00

Construction worker / mason fell from the scaffold, case settled after the jury verdict in amount of $ 10,020,000
$9,825,000.00 (2)

Construction worker/ laborer fell from the scaffold, jury verdict
$9,360,000.00

Jury Verdict for mason/construction worker who fell 2 floors from the side of the building **
$5,500,000 (3)

Woman sustained serious injuries in collision with truck. Jury verdict
$3,500,000.00

Construction worker/ carpenter fell from the roof at height of 20 feet, case settled
$3,100,000.00 (5)

Infant brain damage at birth, case settled
$2,774,367.00

Construction worker/ masons helper fell from the scaffold, jury verdict
$2,536,000.00

Construction worker struck by a falling object during demolition, jury verdict
$2,140,000.00

Construction worker watched as other workers fell from the scaffold in wind storm. Post traumatic stress disorder. Case settled during the trial
$2,100,000.00

Construction worker/ plumber fell into unsecured hole, falling one story down, case settled at the trial
$2,000,000.00

Construction worker/ steamfitter tripped on debris at work, case settled
$2,000,000.00

Construction worker sustained injuries when wall collapsed, case settled at the trial
$1,850,000.00

Settlement while on trial after winning jury liability verdict for woman injured when her wheelchair fell into a pothole
$1,800,000.00

Construction worker fell from the scaffold. Case settled during the trial
$1,698,000.00 (6)

Woman tripped and fell on stairs, jury verdict
$1,600,000.00

Construction worker struck by falling brick, case settled at the trial
$1,398,000.00 (7)

Jury verdict for woman who injured knee in fall on stairs in building

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* 40 million (structured settlement total payout), ** 15 million - final settlement 7.940 mil, *** 13 million - 4.450 final settlement, **** Settled for 3.5 Million 1. Case settled after verdict for $7,960,000.00, 2. Case settled after verdict for $4,400,000.00, 3. Case settled after verdict for $3,500,000.00, 4. Total amount of payout of "structured settlement", 5. Total amount of payout of "structured settlement", 6. Case settled after verdict for $650,000.00, 7. Case settled after verdict for $975,000.00

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New York construction accident lawyers settle three illegal immigrants' cases

$40,000,000 (4)

$15,208,168.00 (1)

$10,000,000.00

$9,825,000.00 (2)

$9,360,000.00

$5,500,000 (3)

$3,500,000.00

$3,100,000.00 (5)

$2,774,367.00

$2,536,000.00

$2,140,000.00

$2,100,000.00

$2,000,000.00

$2,000,000.00

$1,850,000.00

$1,800,000.00

$1,698,000.00 (6)

$1,600,000.00

$1,398,000.00 (7)

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