Expert Case on Scaffold Accident
The author describes a typical accident case in which his expertise is essential for the attorney presenting the case.
On November 17th, 2003, an untrained worker was loading building materials on a scaffold to a platform 7 stories above the street level in downtown San Diego, CA. He was off-loading these materials on to the staging platform from a hoist system controlled by a fellow worker at street level. Although this method had been employed for a year without incident during the resheathing of the building, the staging platform became overloaded on the day of the accident. Its supporting trusses were overstressed, because of improper concentration of weight of the materials being brought to the 7th floor, and as a result the platform collapsed. Unfortunately, the staging platform worker fell to his death, due principally to the lack of supervision by those charged with this responsibility.
I was hired in December 2006 by a local law firm. My task involved the structural analysis of the supporting trusses of the staging platform, to determine their capacity to meet the mandatory OSHA Code requirements for this type of scaffold support. My findings were used in the March 2007 settlement of this case.
By Jay Consulting-Oceanside, California-Litigation Support
Scaffold Accident Forensic Engineers Expert Witness
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John SchuelerScaffold Accident Forensic Engineers Expert Witness
John Schueler has consulted with law firms throughout the United States since 1984 as expert witness at all court levels. He has many years of experience in the design of scaffolding. He is employed as a consultant in a wide range of litigation involving construction injuries.
Copyright Jay Consulting-Oceanside, California-Litigation Support
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer.For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.
