$7.15M Settlement to Woman Paralyzed in Fall from Ladder

A Pennsylvania woman who was paralyzed after she fell from a ladder as she tried to rescue a cat from a tree in November 2009 has reached a $7.15 million settlement with the manufacturer and seller of the ladder.

Penny Raza, who was 36 at the time of the fall, was hurt when the Saf-T-Master Type III Household ladder she was climbing “telescoped,” throwing her to the ground below as she attempted to rescue the cat, according to a June 15 story in The Legal Intelligencer.

Raza sustained serious spinal injuries in the resulting fall, leaving her partially quadriplegic and unable to resume her job as a cleaner for a cleaning company. The ladder was made by the former Old Ladder company, which was later acquired by New Werner Holding Co., which makes and distributes ladders and climbing equipment. She underwent several neck surgeries to treat her injuries, including the installation of hardware devices in her neck.

Raza’s father had allegedly bought the ladder in 1989 from Gay’s True Value Hardware Store in Tunkhannock, Pa., in Wyoming County, about 31 miles northwest of Wilkes-Barre, the story reported.

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com/courtneyk

The victim and her husband, Phil Raza, filed a products liability and negligence lawsuit in the case against Old Ladder, New Werner and Gay’s True Value. “The Razas contended that the ladder was unreasonably dangerous and had a defective locking system that the manufacturer had been aware of prior to 1989,” according to the story.

The couple settled with New Werner in October 2016, with the remaining defendants settling in February after mediation by retired Judge Annette Rizzo in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in product liability or negligence cases through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured by a defective product or in a vehicle crash or any other incident anywhere in the United States.

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