A man became disabled after a steel beam fell on top of him, according to a recently filed lawsuit.
John Pichler filed suit Feb. 21 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Keeley and Sons, Bollmeier doing business as Bollmeier Crane, PJR and Associates and PDM Bridge.
In his complaint, Pichler claims he was working as a truck driver and delivering steel beams to a job site at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and 25th Street in East St. Louis. The beams were going to be used in the construction of a new overpass near Exit 5 of Interstate 64.
However, while Pichler was helping to unload the truck, a steel beam struck him, according to the complaint.
Because of the incident, Pichler sustained temporary injuries, became disabled, incurred medical expenses and lost time from his employment and his normal activities, the suit states.
Pichler names Keeley and Sons as a defendant because it was the general contractor of the site. He blames it and Bollmeier Crane for negligently attaching the steel beams to a hoisting crane, for removing the steel beams from the truck’s trailer and for failing to ensure that the delivery load was properly secured during the delivery to the job site, among other negligent actions.
He also names PJR and Associates, the steel contractor, and PDM Bridge, which was in charge of work at the job site, as defendants, saying they negligently bound one or more of the steel beams to the truck Pichler drove, attached the steel beams to a hoisting crane, removed one of the steel beams from the truck’s trailer, failed to ensure that the steel beams on the truck’s trailer did not move during the hoisting, removed steel beams from the truck even though they knew the beams were not secure and failed to utilize a safe way to remove the beams from the truck.
In his complaint, Pichler is seeking a judgment of more than $300,000, plus costs and other relief the court deems just.
Daniel R. Seidman of the Law Offices of Steven J. Siedman in Chicago will be representing him.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-95.
Worker sues after steel beam strike; Project related to overpass near river
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