$32 Million Injury Award

$32 Million Injury Award - By STEPHANIE REITZ, The Hartford Courant
Worker Paralyzed By Falling Beam At Construction Site In 1994

The injury prompted a lawsuit that took more than 10 years to wind through court where, on Thursday, a jury awarded Pelletier more than $32.1 million in his workplace safety negligence case against Sordoni Skanska Construction Co. of New Jersey.

The company's attorneys said Friday they will appeal the verdict.

Unless the verdict is overturned, Pelletier could also receive up to $8 million in interest in addition to the $32.1 million, since the company rejected Pelletier's offer several years ago to settle the case for $6 million.

Pelletier, 54, won a precedent-setting decision before the state Supreme Court in 2003 for the right to sue Sordoni Skanska, which unsuccessfully argued it could not be held responsible for Pelletier's injuries because he worked for one of its subcontractors.

Since then, his case has been cited several times in claims brought by injured workers statewide.

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