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Judge to reconsider his claim in 90 days

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

The ironworker who was injured when a huge steel truss collapsed in February at the convention center construction site must wait at least 90 days to find out if he'll get compensation for lost wages and medical bills.

	Walter Pasewicz Jr. "rode" a huge steel truss as it fell 90 feet to the ground. (Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette) Online Graphic: Ironworker rode truss to the ground

Walter Pasewicz Jr. appeared yesterday with his lawyer, Betty Ora Grace Mesler, before state Workers' Compensation Judge David Henry regarding his claim filed against the Sports & Exhibition Authority and his former employer, Dick Corp. of Jefferson Hills.

The sports authority is a city-county agency that owns the new $354 million David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. Dick Corp., the steel subcontractor on the project, installed the 15 steel trusses running north-south that form the superstructure of the building.

On Feb. 12, Pasewicz, 39, of West View, was working on a beam 90 feet up -- a section of the 13th truss -- when it suddenly came crashing down, hurtling him to the ground in a few seconds.

Another ironworker, Paul Corsi, was killed. A coroner's inquest into Corsi's death determined that the collapse was caused by use of the wrong size nuts to lock bolts that connected pieces of steel at the base of the truss and by a lack of proper inspection procedures.

Pasewicz said he suffered severe neck and back injuries and psychological trauma that has prevented him from returning to work. He earned at least $50,000 a year as an ironworker but now sits at home most days, he said.

"I think about it every day," he said of the accident, which occurred about 10 minutes before the end of his shift. He said he's often thought, "Why me?"

He received workers' compensation benefits of $662 a week for about 12 weeks after the accident, but those were cut off in late May by the sports authority and its insurer, American Zurich Insurance Co.

Authority and insurance company officials have refused to comment on the matter. A lawyer for the authority, Jeff Wilson, declined to talk with reporters yesterday.

In its "notice of denial" sent to Pasewicz in late May, the authority wrote: "Although an injury took place, the employee is not disabled as a result of this injury" under the state Workers' Compensation Act.

"How could they do this?" Pasewicz said in a brief interview after the hearing, referring to the denial of benefits.

"I was working. I didn't do anything wrong. I was tied off to the truss [as safety procedures required]. I was 100 percent safe. I just kind of figured [the sports authority and Dick Corp.] would be there for me."

Henry gave both sides 90 days to submit additional information, to take additional statements in the case and to give Wilson a chance to arrange for independent medical examinations for Pasewicz.

Pasewicz didn't have an estimate of his unpaid medical bills but said they are amounting to thousands of dollars.