Family of Construction Worker Killed In Gold Coast Gets $11 Million Settlement

CHICAGO (CBS)--A jury has awarded $11 million to the family of an Indiana ironworker killed at a construction project site in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood over three years ago.

Joel Ogiego, 45, of Portage, Ind., was killed in January 2015 when he was crushed by equipment hoisted using a tower crane, according to

According to court testimony, the equipment weighed several thousand pounds more than the tower crane's rated-capacity so the crane was unable to lift up when Mr. Ogiego was first pinned by the load.

The case proceeded to trial after the family rejected a pre-trial settlement offer.

"The Ogiego family is pleased with the jury's verdict," said injury attorney Kenneth J. Allen, who served as trial counsel along with attorney Otto Shragal. "The family wanted to send a message to these companies that overloading a crane is never acceptable and should never again be done, particularly when it poses a direct risk of harm to workers on the project, as it did here. We believe the jury's verdict accomplished that laudable goal and lent some meaning to Joel's tragic death."