OAKLAND,
Calif., July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/
-- Arias Sanguinetti partners Elise R. Sanguinetti and Jamie G. Goldstein obtained a $8.29 million verdict on behalf of a man whose
hand was severely crushed while moving equipment at the Rolling
Loud Festival.
According to the complaint, on September
28, 2019, Angel Aguirre was
an employee of SGPS Showrig. He was responsible for the stage
set-up and breakdown during the Rolling Loud Festival at the
Oakland Coliseum for the artist 21 Savage.
The complaint further states another stagehand was operating a
forklift during the stage breakdown – the forklift that would end
up crushing Mr. Aguirre's hand. This forklift driver was required
to ensure he could see Mr. Aguirre in a safe position before moving
the forks. The visualization was crucial due to the noisy
environment created by the performer and crowds of attendees.
As they began their work, the sun was setting, shrouding the
area in darkness. The forklift-operator claimed that he heard Mr.
Aguirre provide a verbal instruction to move the forks, an
instruction that never occurred, and that led to the disaster. Mr.
Aguirre was left in harm's way when the forklift operator moved the
forks, crushing Mr. Aguirre's hand. He screamed as his hand was
crushed and his body stretched as the forks were raised in the air.
The forklift-operator eventually realized what was happening and
stopped the forks, but it was too late. Mr. Aguirre had suffered a
severe crush injury to his hand. He passed out from the pain and
was then taken away by ambulance.
After the incident, Mr. Aguirre was taken to Highland Hospital,
and it was noted that he suffered a degloving injury with lacerated
nerves and severe injury to the tendons and ligaments of his right
hand.
The lawsuit was brought because Mr. Aguirre's safety was
sacrificed when AEG Oakland Management, LCC and Tommy Harman failed to meet safety standards.
The operator did not take Mr. Aguirre's location or safety into
proper consideration, and this failure to abide by proper safety
policies led to disaster.
Mr. Aguirre suffered severe lacerations, nerve damage, tendon
damage, and a significant crush injury to his dominant right hand,
including his index and middle fingers. He now has pain and
numbness in his right hand, wrist, and shoulder. He also has
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), which is a chronic
progressive and debilitating pain disorder that causes pain that is
disproportionate to the severity of an initial injury.
He has undergone significant treatment, including surgery, over
the past 5 years, and will require continued treatment well into
the future. The cost of his past and future medical care is
substantial. He is unable to work now and in the future due to this
injury.
"Mr. Aguirre was a highly skilled professional in his line of
work and ultimately suffered severe and life-altering injuries at
the fault of a negligent forklift-operator," said attorney
Elise Sanguinetti. "This incident
was completely preventable, but the failure to follow basic safety
precautions ruined his life. He's been unable to do the work he
loves and was trained for, and the financial burden from this lack
of work and the crushing medical bills has caused a brutal level of
stress. This verdict will go a long way toward alleviating that
stress and helping him move on with his life" said attorney
Jamie Goldstein.
The case is Angel Aguirre v.
AEG Management Oakland, LLC and Tommy
Harman, Alameda Superior Court, Case No.
RG20-074680.
About Arias Sanguinetti
With offices in the Bay Area, Los
Angeles and Las Vegas,
Arias Sanguinetti is the premier trial firm representing
individuals who have been injured due to someone else's negligence.
The firm's trial lawyer team regularly represents people injured in
San Francisco, Oakland, San
Jose and throughout California in personal injury, sexual assault,
medical malpractice and product defect.
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SOURCE Arias Sanguinetti