Family receives settlement after tragic fall exposes deep construction safety failures.
A young man who went to work one morning in Hyde Park never came home. David O’Donnell, 26, was doing his job on a construction site when he fell from scaffolding at the University of Chicago’s new cancer center. It happened in June 2024. The fall was eight stories high. Another worker, Jeff Spyrka, fell with him. David didn’t survive. Jeff lived, but his injuries were severe. The two men had been working side by side when something went wrong. The scaffolding failed. That much is clear.
Now, nearly a year later, the Hyde Park man’s family has reached a settlement. It’s a large one—$23.5 million. It doesn’t bring David back. But it does speak to what was lost. This agreement means that those involved—the builders, contractors, and others connected to the site—agreed to pay rather than continue the fight in court. It also means that the claims made in the wrongful death lawsuit had weight. The lawsuit pointed to problems with the scaffolding and claimed it wasn’t secured the way it should have been.
David’s death was not just a tragedy—it raised questions about safety on job sites like this. Construction workers put themselves at risk every day. They rely on the people in charge to make sure their work areas are stable and safe. When something like this happens, it shakes other workers too. If the equipment fails, the outcome can be devastating. In this case, it was.
Jeff Spyrka, the man who survived, has his own legal case going. His life was changed in an instant. He was badly hurt and is still dealing with the aftermath. His injuries will likely stay with him for a long time. His lawsuit is still active and more may come from it.
David O’Donnell was remembered by friends and family as a dependable man. He was steady. He showed up, worked hard, and helped others. He was the kind of person you could count on. After the accident, people close to him spoke about how much he meant to them. They also talked about how quickly something like this can happen. One minute you’re standing next to someone, and the next, they’re gone.
While money can’t fix what happened, the settlement does something. It places responsibility where it belongs. It also reminds other construction companies to take care of their workers. A mistake on a site doesn’t just cause a delay—it can take someone’s life. That’s what happened here.
Workplace safety is often talked about after something terrible. But it’s something that has to be present every day, not just when lawyers are involved. For David’s family, this money may help them with some of the financial weight they now carry. Funeral costs, lost income, grief support—those are all real parts of what comes next. For Jeff, the outcome of his case will determine what kind of care and support he’ll have moving forward.
This case isn’t just about one site or one worker. It points to the wider risks people face on job sites everywhere. It also shows what can happen when things aren’t checked, fixed, or set up the way they should be. When safety is treated like an afterthought, it can cost someone everything.
David’s story is over, but the impact of his fall continues. A settlement like this sends a clear message: it should never have happened. And it can’t be allowed to happen again.
Sources:
Family of man killed in U of C scaffolding accident settles suit for $23.5 million
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