Worker gets $22 million after college football stadium explosion

A construction worker burned by an explosion at the Wisconsin football stadium is getting a payday for his injuries.

Sep 4, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium during the third quarter / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Rose, a construction worker who was seriously burned by an explosion that happened during renovations at one of college football's most historic stadiums, is getting a big payday for his injuries.

Rose has settled his lawsuit against the renovation project's general contractor for $22 million, his attorney announced.

During the 2022 renovations to Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team, Rose was severely injured when a foreman used a flame torch to dry a portion of the floor in an enclosed room under the football stadium at the time when Rose and another worker were applying a flammable material to the floor.

As a result of the explosion, Rose sustained burns on over 70 percent of his body, has undergone several surgeries, and has required extensive medical treatment.

Rose's attorney claimed that JP Cullen & Sons, the contractor on the project, failed to properly follow safety standards.

"For over 50 years, the construction industry and insurance companies have recommended the use of hot work permits to increase worker safety," Rose's attorney, Daniel Rottier, said in a statement. "There is a cost in human life and dollars in taking shortcuts when it comes to protecting workers."

The contractor responded by saying: "We will say that our No. 1 priority is the health and safety of everyone on our projects."

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