Fort Lauderdale, Florida – In 2022, Brill & Rinaldi, The Law Firm, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Kelvin Thompson in the Broward County Circuit Court, alleging that negligence on the part of Sims Crane & Equipment Co. resulted in its crane toppling over and cause Thompson, a 36-year-old electrical worker, to sustain multiple severe injuries.  The lawsuit claims that the crane operator, employed by Sims Crane & Equipment Co., was negligent in failing to properly level the ground where the crane’s outriggers were placed and did not use adequate matting under the outriggers’ floats to stabilize the crane on the ground. These oversights, it is alleged, contributed to the crane’s collapse, which caused the boom of the crane to strike the power lines, including the one Thompson was working on. It is further alleged that the force catapulted him from the bucket lift, leading him to hit his face on the bucket and leaving him hanging unconscious from his safety harness and resulting in life-altering injuries.

According to recent court filings, the case, KELVIN THOMPSON, Plaintiff vs. SIMS CRANE & EQUIPMENT CO., Defendant; CASE NO. CACE-22-006766; IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE 17TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, was settled to all parties satisfaction following over two years of litigation.

Joe Rinaldi, attorney at Brill & Rinaldi, The Law Firm, commented on the resolution, stating, “Cases involving construction equipment and crane accidents require extensive legal experience due to their complexity, such as workers’ compensation immunity issues and crane operation safety standards.  We’re proud to have represented Mr. Thompson and helped him achieve some justice and accountability for his grievous injuries.”