Cockrum v. Kajima International, Inc.

Defendant, Kajima International, Inc. (Kajima), appeals from a $500,000 McLean County jury verdict entered against it in favor of plaintiff, Fred Cockrum, for injuries he sustained while cleaning windows at the Diamond-Star Motors plant in Bloomington, Illinois. Kajima argues the evidence was insufficient to establish its liability under the Structural Work Act (Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 48, par. 60 et seq.) because (1) it was not “in charge” of the work being performed and (2) there was no evidence it willfully violated the Act. It also argues the trial judge erred by refusing to admit…