News: No Damages Liability for GNH Client After Trial of Wrongful Death Case

Following a trial that lasted more than 6 weeks before Judge Gail Dekreon of the San Francisco Superior Court, a San Francisco jury found GNH’s client, defendant Baja Construction, Inc. only 7% at fault for the electrocution death of Corey Hawkins, an employee of a gutter subcontractor, and awarded a total of $1M in damages.  The resulting $70,000 award against Baja was more than offset by costs owed by plaintiffs to Baja pursuant Code of Civil Procedure section 998.

PG&E and the owner/general contractor had settled prior to trial, and the trial proceeded only against Baja, which designed and installed approximately 60,000 sq. ft. of metal storage buildings for an RV storage park. Mr. Hawkins died on his first day on the job when a 20’ piece of flashing he was carrying up a ladder contacted a 12,000 volt overhead power line. Plaintiffs argued that Baja designed and constructed the buildings too close to the power lines and failed to warn of the overhead power lines or take other precautions to prevent injury or death. GNH argued that responsibility rested with PG&E, with the owner/general contractor and with decedent’s employer.