Abraham Watkins managing partner Benny Agosto, Jr. and attorney Lena Laurenzo obtained a $9,864,571.54 jury verdict in Leflore County, Mississippi for two clients who lost a loved one as a result of a defective product manufactured and designed by Genie Industries, Inc.
The product, a TZ-34/20 Trailer Mounted Boom Lift, is an aerial work platform that can elevate workers up to 34 feet in the air. The boom lift arm came apart at a critical assembly point while Leflore County worker, Leroy Anthony, was inside the work platform over 30 feet in the air. The work platform was then allowed to crash down to the ground, causing Mr. Anthony to sustain fatal injuries.
The Abraham Watkins trial team, along with local counsel, Edward Blackmon, Jr. of Blackmon & Blackmon, PLLC, presented evidence that Genie Industries manufactured the boom lift without a critical safety part, namely a bushing that is supposed to prevent excessive friction at the critical assembly joint of the boom lift. As a result of the damage caused by the excessive friction, the upper and lower boom lift arms were able to separate and allow the work platform to fall.
Further, the evidence revealed that Genie Industries defectively designed the boom lift and that there were safer design alternatives available of which Genie Industries was aware and would have prevented the product failure. The evidence also revealed that Genie Industries failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions about the boom lift hazards, especially with regards to the related safety component parts of the critical assembly joint that ultimately failed and caused Mr. Anthony’s death.
After seven days of trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict finding Genie Industries 90% at fault for the defective product and the damages claimed by the Anthony family clients. The verdict was returned after 1.5 hours of deliberation.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed by a potentially defective product, contact an experienced attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto & Aziz by calling 713-222-7211 or toll free at 1-800-870-9584.