Injured in Fall, Ventura Man to Get $1.7 Million
A former grocery store manager has received a $1.77-million settlement for injuries he suffered after falling down an elevator shaft at a Montecito Vons that was undergoing renovations.
Mark Ryan, 44, of Ventura was retrieving papers from his second-floor desk June 24, 2002, according to his attorney, Mark Hiepler.
A lawsuit filed after the incident said Ryan fell through an elevator-shaft opening that had not been sufficiently barricaded during its construction. Ryan fell nine feet and suffered injuries that included broken ribs, broken collarbone and a herniated disc, the suit states.
The defendants -- Kirkley Corp., a general contractor, and Crabco, a framing contractor -- settled the suit Thursday during a pretrial conference with Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Denise de Bellefeuille. A trial date was set for Feb. 27.
P. Mark Kirwin, an attorney for Crabco, said neither of the defendants admitted liability under terms of the settlement.
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