A wrongful death lawsuit centering around the death of an iron worker who lost his life in a construction accident on the Northwestern University campus in Chicago, Illinois is moving ahead.
57-year-old iron worker, Michael Kerr, was perished on May 16, 2013. A construction crane knocked a 16-foot, 70 lb beam from the sixth story of a new building being constructed on the campus grounds. Kerr was on the ground level when the beam crashed onto his head and chest. Two hours later, Kerr was pronounced dead at the Evanston Hospital.
In response to the accident, Kerr’s son filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the general contractor managing construction at the location, Power Construction. “Far too many workers are killed in construction accidents,” said Robert Briskman, a Chicago construction accident attorney. “If the contractor was negligent, then a wrongful death lawsuit is appropriate to gain compensation for the family.”
Kerr’s son and family are seeking $200,000 in damages from the construction firm. According to allegation made in the lawsuit, Power Construction was negligent in failing to follow and maintain proper safety precautions on site, including thoroughly inspecting the work environment and securing all construction materials.
In addition generating the wrongful death lawsuit, the accident has led the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to conduct an investigation into the incident seeking to uncover any failure to maintain OSHA safety regulations. In November, OSHA issued a citation to Power Construction stating Power Construction failed to protect subcontractor workers from harm. As a result, the company was ordered to pay $7,000 in fines and conduct training to prevent future incidents.
Despite this citation, a finding against Power Construction in the ongoing wrongful death lawsuit is in no way assured. Power Construction may be able to free itself of responsibility in the civil case despite OSHA’s ruling.
https://www.lawfirmnewswire.com/2014/09/lawsuit-continues-over-illinois-construction-workers-death/
Even if the lawsuit is not dismissed, there is always the possibility they may be able to convince Kerr’s family to settle for a lesser amount. As expenses begin to add up, Kerr’s family maybe begin to see this as an attractive option. Securing lawsuit funding, however, could provide them with the financial leverage to reject an unsatisfactory offer.
Lawsuit Funding Helps Illinois Litigants with Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Lawsuit funding provides cash advances to plaintiffs involved in civil proceedings in order to help them shoulder the financial hardships of an extended court battle. And as lawsuit funding is not a traditional loan, factors such as employment or credit history are not factored into funding considerations. The likelihood of a successful case is the only concern.
Securing wrongful death lawsuit funding requires no upfront fees or incremental payments. A lawsuit cash advance can be made available in as little as 24-hours.
And unlike traditional loans with monthly payments, the borrower of wrongful death lawsuit funding is not required to pay anything until a judgment is rendered. Should the plaintiff receive the desired outcome, the lawsuit loan repayment is taken right out of the winnings.
On the other hand, should the plaintiff lose the case, they are not required to pay anything, not even the money borrowed.
For those involved in wrongful death lawsuits, securing lawsuit funding could help to realize a better judgment or settlement. Fighting to receive a fair judgment in a wrongful death lawsuit can be a long and trying process; empower your fight with lawsuit funding.