The Ferguson Law Firm Achieves Monumental $50 Million Settlement in Workplace Wrongful Death Case After Exposing Evidence Tampering

 

Ferguson Law Firm Ownership Partner, Jane S. Leger, has secured a monumental $50 million settlement for a North Texas family after a 39-year-old husband and father of three was tragically killed in a preventable workplace incident. The decedent, a worker in a fabrication shop, was pulled into an unguarded piece of rotation equipment and died before being discovered by coworkers.

Prior to the fatal incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had repeatedly cited the shop and its parent company for serious safety violations, specifically citing failures to properly guard dangerous machinery. Despite these explicit warnings from the federal agency responsible for overseeing workplace safety, the company continued operating unguarded equipment without OSHA required safeguards, directly resulting in this loss of life.

During the hotly contested litigation, Mrs. Leger and her team uncovered evidence that the equipment involved in this fatality had been tampered with, and key physical evidence was altered in an attempt to avoid liability.  She also elicited conflicting testimony regarding whether the fatal incident was captured on the shop’s security cameras. The company denied any video evidence existed claiming a power outage in the days preceding the incident took the cameras out of service. Mrs. Leger subpoenaed records from the power company that revealed there had been no power outage during that time period. In response, the legal team filed a persuasive motion for sanctions. Four days before the hearing on that motion, the company agreed to pay the landmark settlement.

According to Mrs. Leger,

“This massive settlement sends an unmistakable message to the manufacturing industry that worker safety cannot be sacrificed in favor of corporate profits.”

She also expressed gratitude to her team that worked tirelessly alongside her to achieve this result and her partners for their unwavering support.  Finally, Mrs. Leger commends her client who is establishing a foundation for underprivileged children.

“It was a hard-fought legal battle the result of which will benefit not only my client’s family but many children in the north Texas community for years to come” said Mrs. Leger “that’s a result that makes our law firm proud.”

Mrs. Leger is a life-long resident of Southeast Texas and is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. A nationally recognized law firm focusing on personal injury and consumer litigation in Texas and beyond, The Ferguson Law Firm is headquartered in Beaumont, Texas and boasts 19 attorneys, 6 of which are ownership partners.