$4 Million Record-Setting Porch Fall Injury Settlement
Francis Patrick Murphy, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death lawyer renowned for his experience and success in porch and deck injury cases, secured a $4 million record-setting settlement for a young adult woman who was injured when she fell two stories after a wood railing broke away on an outside porch in Chicago, Illinois.
Porch Railing Fall Injury Lawsuit
On a Sunday afternoon while watching the Gay Pride parade in Chicago, Illinois, a 24 year-old woman fell from a third floor outside porch to the courtyard below when a porch railing broke. She somersaulted during her fall and landed in an upright position on her left leg. Her leg shattered. Due to complications after several surgeries, her left leg was amputated just below the knee.
Corboy & Demetrio filed a personal injury lawsuit in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois on the day they were retained and Murphy immediately obtained a protective order for the porch railing, wood debris and all nails.
Attorney Murphy stated:
This young woman has suffered a catastrophic injury because of the negligence in the construction of this porch railing. The wrong rails were used which allowed rusting that compromised the safety of the porch.
Immediate preservation of the critical evidence was key to successful prosecution of the case. Even though the City of Chicago had inspected the porch visually and the porch passed inspection, several times, metallurgical analysis of the nails used to affix the railing to the porch posts revealed the wrong nails were used.
Record-Setting Porch Injury Settlement
The $4 million settlement secured by Murphy is the highest settlement in Illinois for an injury resulting from a defective porch railing.