$900,000 Workplace Lifting Injury Settlement in Queens

No human body is designed to lift 600 pounds. But at a Queens job site, a worker was told to do exactly that — and the beam destroyed his lower back.

Forced to Lift a 600-Pound Beam in Queens

The job required moving heavy steel beams from a staging area to the installation point. Proper protocol called for a crane or mechanical hoist. But on the day of the accident, the site operator told workers to move the beams manually to stay on schedule. Our client and two coworkers attempted to lift a 600-pound I-beam. The weight shifted, the other workers lost their grip, and the full load transferred to our client's lower back.

The compression caused multiple lumbar disc herniations, a sacral fracture, and nerve damage that radiated pain down both legs. Our client collapsed on the spot and was transported to the emergency room by ambulance. He has not been able to return to physical labor since.

Holding the Site Operator Accountable for Unsafe Lifting Practices

OSHA regulations and industry standards are clear: loads over a certain threshold require mechanical assistance. Our attorneys documented that the site had a crane available that day but the operator chose not to deploy it to avoid schedule delays. We obtained testimony from coworkers confirming they had raised concerns about the manual lifting order before the accident occurred.

A biomechanical expert retained by our firm calculated the compressive forces on our client's lumbar spine during the failed lift — forces that exceeded the threshold for disc failure by a factor of three. This evidence demolished the defense's argument that our client's injuries were pre-existing.

"Ordering workers to manually lift 600-pound steel beams when a crane is sitting idle on site — that's not a shortcut, it's reckless disregard for worker safety. Our client's spine paid the price for someone else's schedule pressure." — Howard Raphaelson, Founding Partner

$900,000 Settlement for a Crushing Lifting Injury

The $900,000 settlement accounts for emergency surgery, ongoing spinal treatment, permanent disability that prevents return to construction work, lost lifetime earnings, and the daily pain our client endures. It holds the site operator financially responsible for prioritizing schedule over safety.

If you were injured lifting heavy materials at a job site without proper equipment, our workplace injury attorneys have extensive experience proving employer negligence in unsafe lifting cases, and are ready to review your claim.