Robert Montagano was recently awarded nearly $86 million for an incident in 2014 that caused him to lose both of his legs. According to PRNewswire, Mr. Montagano was a truck driver who delivered bundles of carbon steel tubing on his trailer bed to a job site. One bundle rolled out of place when the crane operator attempted to unload the bundles, crushing Mr. Montagano’s legs.
The bundles were stacked in two rows. The bottom row contained five full bundles and one partial bundle. The bundle of carbon steel on top of the partial bundle rolled out of place when the crane operator began to unload the top row.
Mr. Montagano’s attorneys claimed that the load of carbon steel tubing was not properly stacked on the trailer bed. As such, the lawsuit named the carbon steel tubing manufacturer, Metal-Matic Inc., a hydraulic fluid conveyance system developer, Leading Edge Hydraulics, and its affiliates as defendants in the lawsuit.
Mr. Montagano suffered from a fractured tibia, fibula and lacerated right popliteal artery from this incident. Initially, the doctors only amputated his right leg due to the blood loss and crush injuries. His left leg later became infected with a fungus and was amputated as well. Both of Mr. Montagano’s legs were amputated above the knee.
Mr. Montagano was awarded nearly $86 million for his pain and suffering, disfigurement, emotional distress, loss of normal life, medical expenses, and lost earnings following a three-week jury trial.
Trial data shows that this is the largest verdict for a double leg amputee lawsuit in Illinois.
