Family of man killed in U of C scaffolding collapse files lawsuit

The family of a construction worker who fell to his death at the University of Chicago Medical Center earlier this month has filed a lawsuit claiming the construction companies improperly secured scaffolding with plywood and nails.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday on behalf of David O'Donnell, the 27-year-old technical engineer who died after falling 140 feet from scaffolding that got caught in a wind gust on June 9.

Another worker who fell and survived, Jeffrey A. Spyrka, filed a similar lawsuit last week against the contractors in charge of the work site, Turner Construction Co. and Adjustable Forms Concrete. Both lawsuits were filed in Cook County circuit court.

Lawyers representing O'Donnell's family allege the scaffolding was designed to withstand 80 mph wind gusts but became unhinged after just 44 mph gusts the day of the incident.

The scaffolding at the southwest corner of the building was not properly fastened, according to the lawsuit. Two lengths of scaffolding should have been connected with beams but were instead connected with one 4-foot piece of plywood with three nails on each side, according to a statement from the GWC Injury Lawyers, which filed the lawsuit.

"The gust of wild caused the scaffolds to violently shake, thereby allowing the two scaffolds to separate precisely at the point where the piece of plywood was nailed," the statement reads. The plywood fell off and movement of the scaffold caused Spyrka and O’Donnell to fall to the ground, the lawyers said.

“Essentially, they built the corner of this scaffold as if building a tree fort in one’s backyard," Louis A. Cairo, a lawyer representing the family, said in the statement.

Both contractors named in the lawsuit said they are aware of the complaint and are cooperating with investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.