GLP Attorneys Shareholder James Gooding and Partner Sara Maleki recently reached a $3 million settlement in a maritime case involving the construction of the 520 bridge in Seattle, Washington.
Gary Galstad was hurt while working as an underwater construction diver on the 520 bridge. The injury happened when the defendant construction company disconnected a 1,200 pound “spool” from its location on a barge where it was acting as a fairlead for a cable running to the lake bed. The spool was partially hanging over the water directly above Mr. Galstad’s work area. This was a “sequencing” error in that the spool should not have been moved until Mr. Galstad was done working and out of the area.
Once disconnected, the spool fell into the water and hit Mr. Galstad’s dive hose, jerking him backwards. By coincidence, a cable coming off of the spool caught on a bolt on the pontoon which kept it from sinking. However, Mr. Galstad was already seriously injured as a result of the incident, and underwent two surgeries for injuries to his lumbar spine.
Mr. Galstad was unable to return to work as an underwater construction diver/welder and he was no longer able to participate in his physical hobbies or play with his young children like before. Suit was filed in King County Superior Court in 2019 and settled at mediation just weeks prior to the scheduled trial in May 2021.
