Man hurt in construction accident to get $1 million, Orangeburg jury says

An Orangeburg County jury deliberated for about an hour, then ruled that a bystander who was injured while assisting construction activity at a private lake should be paid $1.1 million to compensate for his injuries, according to court records.

The injured man, Bobby Gene McClellan, 65, of Orangeburg, was at a work site where improvements were being made to a dock fence in the private lake when heavy equipment being used in the work collapsed. McClellan suffered a crushed chest and severe injuries to his spine and ribs that caused him permanent disabilities, according to a lawsuit in the case.

The jury ruled that Joseph Rich, owner of the property where the repairs were being made, must pay the $1.1 million in actual damages. Rich is owner of Sunshine Recycling, a well-known business in Orangeburg.

Robert Goings, the attorney who represented McClellan with attorney Marion Moses, said, “Bobby was very appreciative of the jury’s award.”

The jury also found that McClellan was 10 percent responsible for the accident, so he will only actually get about $1 million.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Man hurt in construction accident to get $1 million, Orangeburg jury says."