Scaffolding Company To Blame For Deadly Collapse

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:39:00 GMT

Paramount Scaffold Inc. is to blame for the fatal collapse of a temporary walkway cover in downtown San Diego that killed one man and injured at least 14 others in August 2008.

The cover collapsed under the weight of overloaded scaffolding materials, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The company has been fined $10,120 for two state safety regulation violations.

The walkway cover, made mostly of wood, was intended to shield pedestrians from any falling debris as they walked by the construction site located at Imperial Avenue at 15 Street.

Among the dozen pedestrians and transients trapped below the collapsed cover was Tyrone Allen, 49. He was made a quadriplegic and died earlier this month from injuries he suffered in the collapse.

Allen's widow and three adult children previously filed a negligence lawsuit against the property owner, the general contractor on the project and Paramount Scaffold. The family plans to amend the lawsuit in the near future to claim wrongful death, according to the Union-Tribune.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

San Diego Hotel Blast Under Investigation

Walton Barber, LLP — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:21:24 GMT

The explosion at the San Diego Bayfront Hilton that injured 13 workers is still under investigation. Investigators from California Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been sifting through the mangled debris to try to find out what exactly occurred, but no conclusion have been reached.

Fire investigators have said the explosion occurred when flames from a water heater ignited natural gas that was leaking on the building's fifth floor. Employees from the Farwest Insulating Contracting company were fireproofing a mechanical room moments before the blast. The company who installed the plumbing and gas lines at the hotel was Sherwood Mechanical Inc. of Poway.

Three of the injured workers remain in critical condition at UCSD Medical Center, the serious injured has burns over 40 percent of h is body. Doctors say the men will be in intensive care for several weeks.

Walton Barber LLP handled a similar case a few years ago when three workers were seriously injured by an explosion after a hot water heater ignited a leaking propane tank. Walton Barber filed a lawsuit against the propane company who installed the tanks, and received a substantial settlement on behalf of its client.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Walton Barber, LLP

San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer - Workplace Injuries

Scaffolding Company To Blame For Deadly Collapse

San Diego Hotel Blast Under Investigation