The law firm representing a man paralyzed in a construction accident five years ago said it has won for him the highest known pretrial settlement ever obtained in a Connecticut injury case.
Two years ago, the law firm of Stratton Faxon in New Haven won an almost $11.4 million settlement in Benjamin Wohlfert’s case against Stop & Shop and Pyramid Construction. Now, it has won another $12 million, bringing the tital to more than $23 million.
On St. Patrick’s Day in 2006, Wohlfert had a construction accident in a Canaan Stop & Shop that left him as a paraplegic, according to the lawyers.
He had no prior construction experience and was working for a subcontractor when his job foreman ordered him to ride in a makeshift trash box on a forklift to the roof to get a tool to store away, the lawyers said.
The box disintegrated as the foreman lifted it and Wohlfert fell to the ground, severing his spine.
"The total recovery for our client will be a floor of $17,350,000 but our arbitration claim is rock solid. He should get the full $23,350,000. Despite AIG's typical inability to resolve a case properly and timely, I'm confident we will be able to extract the full policy limits from them in January," Attorney Joel Faxon said. "Thankfully, Ben will be able to obtain all of the medical care he could possibly need throughout his life."
