$51.3 Million Verdict: Historic Monterey County Electric Shock Case

The legal team at Kermani LLP has successfully secured a record-breaking $51.3 million verdict after a client suffered catastrophic electrical burn injuries in a work-related incident.

Securing this verdict was no easy feat. It took six years of dedication, persistence, and litigation through trial to secure justice for our client. Initially, medical experts questioned the severity and long-term impact of the extent of our client’s injuries. Up until the trial, the other party refused to offer any settlement amount. Only after the evidence became overwhelming did the defense attempt to resolve the case with minimal offers of up to $6 million.

Ultimately, the jury’s verdict confirmed what the evidence showed from the beginning: our client was entitled to full and fair compensation under the law.

Unpacking the Catastrophic Accident at Paso Robles Solar Plant

This horrific job site injury happened while a large solar facility was being constructed near Paso Robles. The injured client, Kelley Maggio, was on the clock and fulfilling his work-related duties as expected when he was suddenly exposed to a high-voltage electrical current.

Later, investigations into the incident revealed that Maggio had been shocked because he was exposed to a live electrical current.

Maggio thankfully survived the incident, but his injuries were substantial. According to the lawsuit, Maggio was subjected to electrical current consistent with utility-scale power used in large solar installations

The Fight for Justice: Proving the Severity of Our Client’s Burn Injuries

Not surprisingly, exposure to high-voltage electrical current results in an immediate medical emergency and is frequently fatal. In most cases, this type of shock would’ve resulted in death, but our client survived.

His injuries included severe electrical burns, a traumatic brain injury, and heart complications that will require lifelong medical monitoring

Initially, medical experts were confounded by not only our client’s survival but also the long-term impact of such an extreme electrical shock. They questioned whether our client’s health issues were truly connected to the electrocution incident.

What really made this case turn around was when our legal team cross-examined the defense’s electrical expert. This expert attempted to outline to the jury how the collective knowledge regarding electrical injuries didn’t support our client’s testimony regarding the extent of his injuries. During questioning, we exposed significant gaps in commonly cited electrical-injury research and guidelines,

We highlighted the need for more research into electrical injuries while also proving that our client’s ongoing pain and suffering was directly related to the electrocution incident.

Scene Reconstruction: How Drone Tech Played a Critical Role in This Case

Another one of the biggest turning points in this case happened when our legal team decided to utilize drone technology to recreate the scene and the incident for our jury. We utilized drone footage to demonstrate the exact location of everyone at the time of the injury.

This visual reconstruction demonstrated how the electrical exposure occurred and eliminated speculation about alternative causes, This visual helped our jury recognize that neither the injured worker nor his employer caused the incident

How Our Team Secured $51.3 Million

When it comes to work-related accidents, employees can typically only seek out a claim if someone other than their employer or themselves was responsible. Our attorneys were able to convince the jury that both Maggio and his employer were not at fault for the incident.

Our case rested on proving that the general contractor and solar panel manufacturer controlled key aspects of the job site and electrical systems, and were therefore responsible for the accident.

In addition, our team focused on proving our client’s injuries and the long-lasting consequences of them. Our strategy focused on recreating what happened, outlining to the jury why it happened, and demonstrating the science behind our client’s injuries.

We’re proud to present this latest win among our top case results.

How This Verdict Could Impact Future Electrical Injury Work Claims

This case was very unique in that the client’s recovery was almost unbelievable. Our client suffered electrical injuries of a severity that often result in death or permanent incapacitation.

All that said, this verdict shines a light on the reality. Serious injuries do not need to be permanently disabling to warrant full compensation. When the evidence shows that catastrophic harm was caused by a third party, injured workers have the right to pursue justice, even when their injuries are questioned or minimized.

We hope that this case helps shine a light on this truth and encourages future survivors to continue fighting for justice even when their reality is being questioned.

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