Children of Construction Accident Victim Awarded More Than $50,000
By Daniel Hawn
Published on March 14, 2008
The lawsuit was filed by the family of Christopher Tristan, who died in a construction accident in September 2003.
According to the suit, at the time of his death, Tristan, 27, was working on a steel frame at the Columbia Transload Facility on North Brown Station Road. He fell 30 feet after the free-standing steel columns he was working on gave way and toppled over.
Tristan was taken to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition until he died of his injuries the following month.
The lawsuit filed by Tristan's family named Prost Builders Inc., a construction company that frequently contracts with the city; Vaughn Prost, the president and owner of Prost Builders; and Pro Building Solutions Inc. as defendants.
Attorneys for Tristan's family claim that the frame collapsed due to negligence on the part of the defendants, including failing to inspect the columns and foundations and not providing workers with adequate safety training.
Following the accident, Prost Builders was fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to report the condition of the frame's concrete base to the labor contractor, J.D. Builders.
After the settlement was announced last month, attorneys for Prost Builders declined to comment on the case, citing confidentiality agreements.
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