The insured was the General Contractor on a building site and an employee of a subcontractor walked backwards into an unprotected hole
that had been excavated to construct stairs down to the basement. Safety railings had been installed previously, but were removed for an unknown reason prior to the accident. The claimant suffered paraplegia and, with no evidence to show who removed the safety railings and with the insured being responsible for site safety, the insured became the primary target. The case settled for $4m, with $1m from the policy, of which $900,000 was reinsured on a Contributing Excess basis.
Products and services are provided by one or more insurance company subsidiaries of W. R. Berkley Corporation. Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and the precise coverage afforded by any insurer is subject to the actual terms and conditions of the policies as issued.
For additional information concerning W.R. Berkley Corporation’s insurance company subsidiaries, click here.
