| Dear Sir, I
am writing in response to your request for additional information. In block number 3 of
the accident reporting form, I put "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of
my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that
the following details will be sufficient:
I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of
the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I
completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather
than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley
which, fortunately, was attached to the side of the building, at the sixth floor.
Securing the rope at ground level, I went
up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the brick into it. Then I went back to
the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500
pounds of bricks. You will note in block number 11 of the accident reporting form that I
weigh 135 pounds.
Due to my surprise of being jerked off the
ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless
to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building.
In the vicinity of the third floor, I met
the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured skull and broken collar bone.
Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid
ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the
pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold
tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.
At approximately the same time, however,
the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the
weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed approximately fifty pounds.
I refer you again to my weight in the block
number 11. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In
the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two
fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the barrel slowed me
enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks and, fortunately, only
three vertebrae were cracked.
I am sorry to report, however, that as I
lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel six
stories above me....I again lost my presence of mind....
I let go of the rope................. | 
