$1.45 Million for Security Guard Who Fell Into an Excavation

Reported June 2026:

Kane County, IL: Lane Brown, LLC attorneys Scott D. Lane and Nicholas J. Kamenjarin obtained a $1,450,000 settlement on behalf of our client.

In 2021, a 25-year-old security guard was working an overnight shift at a construction site. While conducting his security rounds, he fell approximately 15 feet into an open excavation. He suffered an L1 burst fracture with significant spinal cord compression and required a laminectomy and a T11–L3 spinal fusion. He continues to experience chronic back pain, functional limitations, and bladder and bowel dysfunction.

The lawsuit alleged that the excavation, which had been dug earlier that day between his shifts, was unlit and lacked fixed barriers or signs warning of the fall hazard. The defendants denied liability, contending that he entered a marked construction area in violation of his employer’s policies and that security staff had been informed of the excavation before the incident. A confidential defendant paid the settlement.

Settlement: $1,450,000

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.