A 44-year-old laborer performing HVAC duct demolition was caused to fall from an unsecured ladder after the ductwork fell onto him. He struck his head on the ground and passed away the next day without regaining consciousness. He left behind a wife and 2 children. An offer of $1.5 million was rejected at a mediation. The case was eventually settled after a jury was selected. There were issues about how large of a jury award could be upheld in this case. This is because there was little proof that the worker endured conscious pain and suffering, and his tax returns over several years reflected very low earnings. If either of these situations were different, the settlement would have been even larger.