A Hartford jury awarded $100 million in compensatory damages to Juan "Mikey" Cruz after a 2017 accident in a warehouse that left him paralyzed. In the back row from left to right are attorneys Ryan McKeen, Andrew Garza, Andrew Ranks and Alexa Mahony. Seen in the front row from left to right is Emily Cruz and Juan "Mikey" Cruz. Courtesy photo 'A Permanent, Significant Impact': How a $100 Million Verdict Was Secured in Warehouse Accident
"It's going to mean freedom, independence for him, mobility," Andrew Garza, counsel for the plaintiffs, said. "He hasn't driven a car since that day that he drove to work in 2017 because they couldn't afford a vehicle that was modified so that he could drive. It means that simple things that we all take for granted like being able to get up, go to the grocery store; he can do that now without having to rely on somebody else. I know that independence means the world to him."
October 17, 2022 at 04:13 PM
5 minute read
A Hartford jury awarded Juan "Mikey" Cruz $100 million in compensatory damages after he was paralyzed from the waist down in 2017 after an 800-pound pallet of lighting products fell from 30 feet on him in a warehouse accident. Cruz also settled with the other defendants for a total of $8 million.
Cruz filed a complaint in 2018 against temporary worker JeanPaul Paez, who operated the forklift and caused the lighting products to fall on him, the company who provided temporary staff, Spec Personnel, and the company who sold the product that fell on Cruz, Signify North America Corp., previously know as Phillips Lighting North America Corp.
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