On February 8, 2005, a 77-year-old man was talking with two Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) workers who were part of a crew cutting down a 55-foot sugar maple tree in a strip of lawn between the sidewalk and the street. While he stood between the two workers, both of whom were wearing hard hats, a 10-foot-long trunk segment was cut and fell to the ground. It struck a 25-inch-long log propelling it through the air and striking the man in the forehead. The man fell backward and struck his head on the sidewalk. He was transported to the hospital where he died the next day.<\/p>\n
After waiting over two years for the Connecticut Claims Commissioner to grant permission to sue, the man\u2019s widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that state workers failed to ensure that the man was a safe distance from the work site. Under state (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On February 8, 2005, a 77-year-old man was talking with two Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) workers who were part of a crew cutting down a 55-foot sugar maple tree in a strip of lawn between the sidewalk and the…<\/span><\/p>\n