Settlement Over $4 Million Obtained for Injured Worker

Michael K. Demetrio, a partner of Corboy & Demetrio, announced that his firm has resolved a product liability/workplace case on behalf of a 51 year -old worker.   The case was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois before Judge William T. Hart. Attorney Edward G. Willer, also of Corboy & Demetrio, represented the injured worker along with Demetrio.

On August 1, 2005, the plaintiff was employed as a laborer at Unilock, Inc., in Aurora, Illinois. His duties required him to work with complex conveyor machinery that binded pallets of bricks.  That machinery was manufactured and designed by MASA Aktiengesellschaft (MASA) and its operational computer software was designed by Viktor Ridder GmbH, (Viktor) both German manufacturing entities.  On August 1, 2005, while he was using the machine, it unexpectedly malfunctioned causing over a ton of bricks to strike him. He suffered extensive internal injuries.

“During the course of extensive discovery in the federal action, Corboy & Demetrio developed  evidence indicating that the safety sensors on the Viktor strapping machine were not adequate to prevent the incident which caused our client's injuries and the lack of fencing around the conveyor system manufactured by MASA was known by them to be potentially dangerous” Mr. Willer stated.

MASA, Viktor and Unilock all agreed to a voluntary mediation conference with plaintiff before the Honorable Stuart Nudelman. Mr. Demetrio stated: “Judge Nudelman worked nonstop for over 11 hours with all parties to bring about a settlement package of $4.4 million that will ensure our client's medical needs will be met and the financial security of his family ensured.”