The state Appellate Court upheld a $2.8 million award to a contractor who suffered injuries while working on the Meadowlands Racetrack roof last year, documents state.
The plaintiff, Washington Munoz, 44, an employee of Cooper Plastering at the time of his injury, was working on the roof of the Meadowlands Racetrack in 2017 when he stepped on a drainage hole that had been obscured by a rubber mat placed down by contractor Paino Roofing, according to the court’s ruling.
Gerald Clark, attorney to the plaintiff, said he’s honored to have won justice for an “honest, hardworking man who was needlessly injured because those in charge disregarded basic workplace rules.”
Munoz carried two buckets of plaster and a tool belt as he walked on the rubber film, which obscured holes for drainage, according to the lawsuit. He stepped on one of the drainage holes, which punctured the rubber and caused him to lose balance. As a result, the buckets and tools slipped off his shoulder and twisted his body, injuring his shoulder and back, court papers state
In a 2017 jury trial in Superior Court, he successfully sued Paino Roofing, which had laid the rubber mat, and Ciminelli construction, the company acting as construction manager on the project. Cooper Plastering and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority were defendants in the suit, but neither entity is financially liable for the award, Clark stated.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to the negligence of another, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. To learn more, contact the respected personal injury attorneys at Breslin and Breslin today.
