WGBC Reaches $8.3 Million Settlement for Bucket Truck Worker

March 28, 2023

In late January, White, Graham, Buckley & Carr partners William Carr and Bryan White reached an $8.3 million settlement for a worker who fell from a bucket truck in May 2016.

Carr & White represented the 39-year-old man who fell 30 feet from the bucket truck to the parking lot below, suffering permanent brain injury, leg and back fractures and injuries to multiple organs.

The plaintiff was unaware that the bucket had a tilting mechanism that allowed bucket to tip so that debris could be removed from the bucket. The bucket design required a safety pin be placed in the handle apparatus to prevent unexpected tilting. The plaintiff contended the pin mechanism was defective and dangerous because it could be dislodged during use, allowing the bucket to unpredictably tip.  The Defendant contended that the worker was responsible for his injuries because he failed to wear a safety lanyard when using the truck.  The case was settled after extensive discovery was conducted and the case was scheduled to proceed to trial in July of 2023.

The case was featured in the Verdicts & Settlements section of Missouri Lawyers Media.