The man was a part of the community service program due to a previous drug charge. He was assigned to ride a city trash truck in 2008. A few days into his duties, a supervisor told him to ride on the truck platform. Unfortunately, the man was not given the required protective eyewear. As a result, he was hit in the face by tree branches and leaves, and hit a telephone pole. The man fell from the platform into an alley and sustained injuries that resulted in $55,000 in medical costs. He also claims that after he suffered the personal injury, he lost wages from his regular day job as a carpenter.
The man's initial lawsuit against the city was dismissed in Baltimore Circuit Court, but the Court of Special Appeals has ruled that the city should be responsible for the injuries since he was technically a city employee at the time.
The man's attorneys reached a personal injury settlement for him with the city out of court. It was approved by the Board of Estimates, which consists of the Baltimore mayor, council president, the city comptroller, as well as other city officials.
In cases like this, a person injured at work or as a result of someone else's negligence can pursue compensation even if the injury occurs as someone is serving part of a sentence mandated by a criminal charge.
