Firm Wins Settlement for Injured Carpenter

A 35-year-old carpenter who was working on a 60-storey building in Manhattan won $1.5 million in damages after slicing his arm with a circular saw. There was no designated flat surface, nor were there wood clamps, provided for Plaintiff and his co-workers to use when sawing wood, and they were encouraged by their supervisor to use whatever surface was available to “stabilize” wood while cutting it. In this case, the only available stable surface was a new bathtub that was installed on the 7 th floor of the building. The power saw that Plaintiff was using had a missing base plate adjustment lever and bolt, and these circumstances caused the saw to kick back, slicing Plaintiff’s arm open and severing his ulnar artery and nerve.