Dive Brief:
- A worker who said he was hurt while trying to move a 42-foot metal shoring tower at the Falcons new $1.4 billion Mercedes Benz stadium is suing a general contractor, HHRM Self Perform LLC, along with other companies and individuals involved with the project, claiming "permanent and continuing," injuries, WXIA reported.
- According to the lawsuit, Sonny Rogers, an employee of subcontractor Skyline Forming, is incapacitated as a result of the accident and is suing for lost wages; future wages, claiming he will be unable to achieve "gainful employment;" $4 million of current medical bills and future medical expenses.
- The lawsuit, filed on Rogers' behalf by a representative, claims that supervisory personnel did not follow tower manufacturer instructions, which direct users to dismantle the tower before attempting to move it.
Dive Insight:
Defendants in the lawsuit include the HHRM joint venture partners — Holder Construction, Hunt Construction, H.J. Russell Enterprises and C.D. Moody Construction — Skyline Forming, Personnel & Safety Administration, Inc. and other various companies and individuals associated with the project.
Earlier this year, a Texas jury awarded $54 million to the family of 28-year-old Angel Garcia, a construction worker killed during concrete demolition operations, which were part of the overhaul of Texas A&M's Kyle Field. Garcia was using a Caterpillar loader to catch demolished stadium concrete when a 3,340-pound piece tipped the loader, throwing Garcia four stories to his death. In this case, the jury found both general contractor Manhattan-Vaughn (75%) and Garcia's employer Lindamood Demolition (25%) liable.
After undergoing some design issues, the 75,000-seat Mercedes Benz stadium is scheduled to open June 2017. As of mid-May, stadium officials reported that the project, the only LEED Platinum-certified sports-entertainment facility in the U.S., was 50%-60% complete. The primary source of delays, officials said, has been the eight-piece retractable roof, which, according to team CEO and President Rich McKay, is being "continuously engineered." He added that steel for the stadium is being manufactured in 32 different steel plants in order to keep the project on schedule.
