Jersey City, New Jersey-Leon Primus vs. Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, et al. Docket No. BER-L-4260-98
An ironworker who was injured on August 8, 1996, at the Heights Plaza construction site in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, settled his lawsuit on June 21, 2002, the Friday before trial was to begin before the Honorable Charles J. Walsh, J.S.C. in Bergen County for $800,000.00. Leon Primus, a 50 year old Passaic County man, was injured when a clogged trash chute collapsed on him. The chute was used to discard debris from the building that was under renovation. The plaintiff was preparing to undo the chute when it suddenly collapsed crushing him between the trash chute and an electrical panel.
Mr. Primus sustained a head trauma with a concussion and loss of consciousness. He underwent surgery to remove a portion of the sternum and tenth rib at Hackensack Medical Center. He continues to suffer from tinnitus, disequilibrium and vertigo secondary to vestibular trauma. He had returned to work for a brief period of time as an ironworker prior to trial, but in a severely restricted capacity due to his physical limitations. Future opportunities for employment in this limited capacity as an ironworker were anticipated to be minimal. It is expected that other future employment opportunities would also be limited.
Plaintiff was represented by Robert E. Margulies and Clifford A. Herrington of Margulies, Wind, Herrington & Knopf of Jersey City, New Jersey. There were three defendants and one-third party defendant each represented by separate counsel: Donald Gesicki, Law Office of Robert F. Cerino of Roseland, N.J. on behalf of defendant Alfred Sanzari Enterprises; Robert C. Neff, Jr., Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP of Newark, N.J. on behalf of defendant Superchute, Ltd.; Leslie A. Santore, O'Brien, Liotta & Mandel, LLP of Union, N.J. on behalf of defendant Ace Scaffolding, Inc., Ltd.; and Jeffrey Mazzola, O'Brien, Liotta & Mandel, LLP of Morris Plains, N.J. on behalf of third-party defendant County Glass, Inc.