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June 4, 2008

Settlement in jeopardy for injured illegal immigrant

PROVIDENCE -- A groundbreaking settlement for an injured Mexican illegal immigrant was put in jeopardy today when the man’s former employer, Warwick tree-service owner William J. Gorman Jr., fired his lawyer and told a judge that the agreement “was a total lie. I’ve never even seen it to this day.”

Gorman’s lawyer, Michael St. Pierre, reached the $30,000 settlement agreement with lawyers for Edgar Velásquez, the injured worker, in January.

Just prior to withdrawing from the case today, St. Pierre told Workers’ Compensation Judge Bruce Q. Morin that he indeed had informed Gorman of the agreement, including sending him “very lengthy, detailed letters” outlining the terms.

Velásquez sustained injury in 2006 when a chainsaw kicked back and slashed his face to the bone. At the time, he was working for Gorman, owner of Billy G’s Tree Care. Velásquez is now in Mexico.

Though state law entitles undocumented immigrants to pursue workers’ compensation claims, Velásquez was arrested outside the courthouse on the day he first tried to bring his case against Gorman. Velásquez and his lawyers said they believed Gorman notified immigration authorities.

Today, nearly two dozen representatives of Fuerza Laboral (Power of Workers) and the Mexican-American Association of Rhode Island sat in the courtroom, in support of Velásquez.

-- Journal staff writer Karen Lee Ziner

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 5:55 PM | Permalink

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Donna | June 5, 2008 12:58 AM link

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