NEWS

Jury awards $21.3 million to Indy man injured in garage door accident

Tim Evans
tim.evans@indystar.com

An Indianapolis man paralyzed from the chest down when he was crushed by a malfunctioning garage door has won a $21.3 million award from the Plainfield company that had serviced and inspected the door.

The damage award approved by Marion Circuit Court jury Friday following a civil trial is among the five highest ever issued to an injured individual in Indiana, said attorney Lee Christie.

Christie of Indianapolis represented Ralph and Cheryl Parker of Indianapolis in their lawsuit against Professional Garage Door Systems, Inc.

The damages award stemmed from a construction accident on April 6, 2006, in which Ralph Parker was pinned between a garage door and the roof structure of a garage where he was working on an electrical wiring project.

According to the complaint filed in the lawsuit, Parker was replacing old wiring in a garage in the 6900 block of W. Washington St. when the garage door activated and trapped him between the door and roof. When the motor later failed, the door dropped and Parker fell head-first to the ground about 14 feet below where he had been working.

The accident left Parker with permanent, disabling spine injuries which caused him to be paralyzed from the chest down.

The lawsuit alleged his injuries were the direct result of Professional Garage Door Systems' "negligent inspection, service and/or repair of the garage door opener." The lawsuit said the company had sold, installed, inspected and repaired the door and its opener.

The total award for damages was $30.5 million. But the jury found Professional Garage Door Systems was only 70 percent responsible for Parker's injuries and awarded him $18.2 million. The jury also awarded Parker's wife $3.15 million for loss of her husband's love, companionship, comfort, affection and physical assistance.

The attorney for Professional Garage Door Systems did not respond to a request for comment on the verdict.

Call Tim Evans at (317) 444-6204. Follow him on Twitter: @starwatchtim.