HONOLULU (KHON2) -- A construction worker left paralyzed from a workplace accident recently won a $6.6 million settlement, with the family's attorney calling for more stringent safety protocols on job sites.
The worker, who moved from China eight years ago, fell 12 feet from the roof of a construction site in Honolulu, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. As part of the settlement, the worker is only being identified as Mr. Chen and the contractor he was working for is not being named.
For the last four years, the Chen family has been working to get compensation for his injury that attorneys say could have been prevented with better safety training.
They're urging all work sites to review their safety policies and for workers to know their rights.
"If you don't already have formal policies and protocols in place for safety in the workplace, then you need to take the time and effort to make sure that you can put the right policies and protocols in place to prevent workplace injuries like this," said Jeremy O'Steen, the attorney for the Chen family. "If you already have workplace policies and protocols, just as a start, find one thing tomorrow that you can change or modify about your policies to make the workplace safer. Beyond that, it's all about enforcement. If you don't have the appropriate enforcement or supervision those policies are as good as not having them at all."
Kara Chen, 29, said her father's accident has impacted the entire family, emotionally, physically and financially. Chen said she, her mother and brother can only work part time because they each take turns caring for her father, who is unable to walk on his own.
"My dad is currently recovering okay, but every day he has a lot of pain on his body. So he's not very emotionally very stable," said Chen through an interpreter. "So we take turns to stay at home taking care of him. We have to cook for him and take care of him. For my mom, my dad, if he needs to use the bathroom at night or take a shower, he will need someone to assist him."
The law firm, Miyashita and O'Steen, is donating $50,000 to the non-profit organization, Hawaii Workers Center. The center was established four years ago to be a resource for workers, especially where English is a second language.
"The challenge has always been, especially among immigrant workers and people who can't speak English, they are hesitant to speak up so they just sort of keep quiet and they suffer through that process," said Rev. Sam Domingo, Board President of the Hawaii Workers Center. "We realize that they need a voice. They need an advocate and they also need for themselves to find an agency that they can take responsibility and really hold their employers accountable."
Workers interested in knowing about more their rights, can contact Hawaii Workers Center at hiworkerscenter@gmail.com.