A Cook County man filed a lawsuit against a general contractor and a scaffolding business, claiming injuries in a 2013 work-related accident involving collapsed scaffolding.
Joseph Persico Jr. brought a complaint against Gilbane Building Co. and Oosterbaan & Sons Co. on June 18 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging premises negligence in the July 2013 incident.
According to the filing, the plaintiff suffered injuries while at work on a building located at 3200 S. Calumet Ave. in Chicago on July 19, 2013. The suit states that the defendants carelessly and negligently failed to oversee work being done on the building’s exterior, failed to safely set up scaffolding for a painting job, and failed to warn Persico that the scaffolding was not set up properly.
The lawsuit states that both defendants were negligent by allowing the equipment to remain in an unstable condition. Specifically, court documents indicate that the proper braces and pins were not provided for the scaffolding.
The plaintiff maintains that he sustained head, body and limb injuries when the structure collapsed. Claiming pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of earnings and earning capacity, disability, and loss of normal life, Persico seeks damages in excess of $50,000 plus attorneys’ fees and costs. He is represented by Fred Benjamin of Benjamin & Shapiro in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015L0006171.