In 2012 a worker at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, PA, was seriously injured when he fell through a glass ceiling while inspecting light fixtures in the museum. He recently settled a lawsuit with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and other defendants including security company AlliedBarton, construction company L.F. Driscoll, and maintenance company Elliott-Lewis, for failing to keep him safe from hazards in the workplace.

Phani Guthula worked as an engineer for IFC International and was working in the Rodin Museum to inspect light fixtures as part of an audit they requested to see if they could get an energy rebate after a multi-million dollar renovation. Guthula was allowed into the museum’s attic where the light fixtures were located by an AlliedBarton security guard, who told him the glass floor was safe to walk on. He stepped onto the floor and it shattered, and Guthula fell 38 feet.

He was severely injured, fracturing his femur, hip, pelvic, rib and elbow bones. He was initially hospitalized for 45 days and still requires serious medical care. He has undergone 15 surgeries but thinks that his injuries will still affect him the rest of his life. His lawyers alleged that since the museum had just recently gone through a big renovation, railings that should have been in place to keep people off the glass were not yet in place, and there was no signage indicating the dangers of stepping on the glass. They also alleged that the AlliedBarton security team was not adequately informed about the potential dangers of stepping on the floor and failed to protect him from harm.

While the museum denied allegations about the lack of warning signs, they, and other defendants, did ultimately settle with Mr. Guthula. His case was settled for $7.25 million just before a jury selection was set to begin, according to a press release from Mr. Guthula’s lawyers. There are new security measures that have been put in place at the museum since this accident to ensure no one else is put in a similarly hazardous situation.