Philadelphia, PA – A Philadelphia court awarded $68.5 million in damages Wednesday to the family of a construction worker who died in 2021 after a fall from an unsafe balcony at a luxury dwelling development. The jury found OCF Construction LLC, the project’s general contractor, liable for the worker’s death due to negligence and safety violations.
The incident, which took the life of 38-year-old Siarhei Marhunou and left his widow Hanna and their young son grappling with the loss, occurred at a construction site in the Fitler Square neighborhood. The site at 2330 Sansom St. was under construction to become a cluster of five high-end townhouses.
Legal representatives from Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, a firm specializing in construction negligence, argued that the company prioritized cost-cutting over safety measures. Jeffrey P. Goodman, one of the attorneys for the Marhunou family, commented, “Construction sites should be places of stringent safety standards, not shortcuts that cost lives. The jury rightly recognized this by their verdict.”
The four-day trial in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas highlighted multiple breaches of safety, particularly OSHA requirements for fall protections. It was revealed that Marhunou, who was employed by a subcontractor, fell nearly 50 feet through an inadequately secured temporary wooden railing from a fifth-floor balcony while installing siding.
Attorney Aidan B. Carickhoff reflected on the verdict, stating, “While no monetary compensation can bring back Mr. Marhunou or undo the enduring pain his family experiences, the outcome of this trial brings a form of justice and accountability to entities cutting corners in worker safety.”
The development was being managed by Ori Feibush, who owns several businesses linked to the project. Despite OCF Construction being central to the case, other defendants in the lawsuit included Fitler Construction Group, 2330 Sansom Street LLC, HSC Construction, and Hammers Construction, with the latter two not affiliated with Feibush.
The case, formally recorded as Marhunova v. OCF Construction, LLC, has drawn attention to practices within the construction industry, particularly the management and oversight of safety protocols on high-risk projects. It underscores the ongoing need for stringent adherence to safety standards to protect workers’ lives.
Legal experts and safety advocates hope the jury’s decision sends a strong message to the construction industry about the crucial importance of safety first approaches and rigorous compliance with established protocols. They argue that the tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the consequences when profit motives overtake responsible management.
As the Marhunou family continues to cope with their loss, this substantial compensation is seen as a step toward closure and a stern warning to other construction firms to uphold the highest safety standards and avoid future tragedies.
Following the verdict, Hanna Marhunou expressed gratitude towards the legal team for their relentless pursuit of justice for her husband and their young child, emphasizing the importance of holding corporations accountable for their roles in preventable workplace accidents.