Florida Construction Accident Victim Awarded $76M In Damages

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

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UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021Fact Checked

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Jeffrey Johnson

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Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

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UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

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It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.

We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.

We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021Fact Checked

A Florida construction accident victim was awarded $76.6 million in damages for injuries he sustained while on the job that left him a quadriplegic. It is thought to be the largest personal injury verdict in Brevard County.

An uncommon personal injury

According to news reports, Timothy Hoffman worked construction for C&D Dock Works in 2003. While waiting for a sea wall to harden, Hoffman, his co-workers and boss apparently dared him to dive into a shallow river. Although accounts differed as to what really happened that day, Hoffman’ only 20 years old at the time’ dove approximately 10 feet into about one foot of water, landed on his head and broke his neck between his fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae. The accident left him a quadriplegic.

He sued his employer for damages and a Brevard County jury awarded him over $76.6 million in damages. While a whopping $52.8 million of that amount constituted pain and suffering, the award also included $1.5 million for past medical expenses, $21.7 million for future medical expenses and $583,000 for loss of future earnings.

Although it is considered to be one of the largest personal injury verdicts in Brevard County, it is unknown whether or not Hoffman will receive anything as C&D Dock Works has filed for bankruptcy.

Construction accident law

Construction accident law can be very complex. General contractors or owners, such as in the case above, can be held liable for injuries sustained on the job when they place workers into unreasonably dangerous situations’ even when those situations are’outside’ of normal job duties.

Damages stemming from construction accidents can be substantial and possible recovery may also include rehabilitative expenses, compensation for permanent disability, compensation for the level of impairment of duties and responsibilities as a spouse or a parent, permanent suffering such as disfigurement and impairment of quality of enjoyment of life.

If you’ve been injured due to a construction accident, contact an experienced Florida personal injury attorney to discuss your situation and evaluate your options. Consultations with a lawyer are free, without obligation and are strictly confidential.

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Jeffrey Johnson

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Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

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