Jury Decides on $15 Million After Victim Settles for $1.85 Million

A 37-year-old maintenance man suffered $15 million in damages when he fell from a cooling tower atop a Fashion Island high-rise four years ago, an Orange County jury decided Thursday.

But for Ronald Craig Casperson, an Irvine man who was rendered quadriplegic by the accident, the verdict was academic. He was simply a witness in the case, since he had settled all his claims in February for $1.85 million. The court fight continued after the settlement to determine who would pay for Casperson’s lifetime care.

Casperson had originally sued two firms that manufactured and installed the tower, part of the air-conditioning system in the nine-story office building at 550 Newport Center Drive. While repairing a fan motor, he fell 10 feet from the tower, landing on his back and severing his spinal cord.

Jurors, who spent four weeks hearing the case before Superior Court Judge Frank Domenichini, decided that Irvine Co. was responsible for most of the blame.

Lawyers for Great American West Inc. provided workers compensation insurance to Irvine Co. The firm has paid more than $700,000 to date for treatment of Casperson.

Great American had hoped jurors would find United Air Conditioning Co., the firm that installed the tower, to blame for most of the accident, which would have forced United to help pay for Casperson’s lifetime care.

But jurors found Irvine Co., owner of the building and Casperson’s employer, 75% responsible. Casperson himself was found to be 20% responsible and United 5% to blame.

Jury foreman Vincent A. Campisi of Garden Grove said jurors believed Irvine Co. failed to maintain the tower and failed to provide adequate safety training for employees.

Casperson’s medical expenses amount to $80,000 a year, said his attorney, Robert Proctor.

He said Casperson lives with his teen-age daughter in an Irvine apartment while he awaits the remodeling of his La Habra home.

Proctor said Casperson, who testified in the court case, manipulates the speed and direction of his motorized wheelchair by blowing into tubes.

He also went snow skiing last fall, using “a special kind of sled,” and snorkeled last summer in the Caribbean, Proctor said.