A Philadelphia jury has awarded $3 million to a carpenter who broke his shoulder after the temporary stairway he was walking on collapsed.

After 14 days of trial, the jury found that two drywall companies and the company that installed the temporary stairway were liable for the incident, and returned a $3 million verdict for John F. White and his wife. The jury in White v. Drywall awarded $2.5 million to White for past and future damages, and $500,000 to White's wife for loss of consortium.

White sustained a broken shoulder, as well as a concussion and soft-tissue injuries to the neck and back. He alleged the temporary staircase that collapsed had been wobbly for some time, and he had warned superiors at the job site, but nothing was done to fix the steps.