Defective equipment is a leading cause of preventable workplace injuries. It is vital that employers remove any defective or worn down equipment that could cause an injury. Unfortunately, our client’s employer failed to provide his workers with safety equipment, and our client paid the price. Our 31-year-old client, a union member and Oswego lineman was working on a transmission tower, approximately 120 feet up in the air when a rope hauling a heavy panel snapped. The panel being hauled by the rope swung down, struck our client’s head, and left him crushed between the tower and the panel. He was unable to move until another worker removed the panel. He sustained serious injuries including a number of broken bones that required multiple surgeries with hardware. Attorneys David Gross and Kenneth Fromson were able to hold the negligent parties accountable and settled the case for $725,000.