Attorneys Douglas Olcott and Dallas Hartman, of Dallas W. Hartman, P.C., have secured a $1.3 million dollar settlement for a Pulaski man who was critically injured in a March 2000 fall as a result of a defective product. Billy Ray Moore fell from a cellular tower he was helping to construct in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania when a faulty hook on his rebar web assembly, manufactured by Elk River, Inc., gave way and sent the man plummeting over 40 feet. A rebar web assembly is used for fall protection and is intended to permit a worker to hook themselves to the tower to prevent them from falling, if they should slip or lose their footing, and allow them to perform the necessary work hands free.

Despite multiple surgeries, Mr. Moore has been left disabled and unable to return to his former work. Billy Ray Moore's settlement is a proud day for attorneys Dallas Hartman and Doug Olcott, and the entire Moore family. Since the initial workers' compensation case was settled years ago, attorneys Hartman and Olcott have worked relentlessly on behalf of Mr. Moore for over a decade to secure a third party liability settlement against the manufacturer of the defective product. In reference to the Moore case, Attorney Olcott said that "This was a long awaited settlement for a well-deserving family. Billy Ray and his family have endured a thirteen year wait for justice. The most satisfying part of this settlement is knowing that it will provide financial security for the Moores and will replace the income they have lost as a result of Billy Ray's inability to return to his prior work because of the injuries he sustained. I am just happy that I was able to help the family."

Attorney Dallas Hartman said of the Moore's result, and product liability cases in general, that "Defective product cases are some of the most complex cases that we handle. They are costly to the firm and require tremendous patience and trust from our clients. After thirteen years of persistence and fortitude, it is so rewarding to see the Billy Ray and his family benefit from our hard work and dedication." Although product liability cases are not as common as car accidents or medical malpractice cases, Dallas has handled many defective product cases over the years, including a 2008 cases against Bobcat that ended in a $3.5 million dollar verdict. In 2012, he was recognized by Newsweek Magazine as one of the top products liability lawyers in the country and in 2013 he was the only attorney from Northwestern Pennsylvania listed in the Top 100 Pennsylvania Lawyers list, published in Super Lawyers Magazine.

While rewards and accolades are always appreciated, Dallas noted that "making sure our clients are taken care of is our number one priority. Billy Ray was not only awarded with an excellent financial recovery, but he has made an amazing physical recovery for someone who fell forty feet to the ground. Billy Ray and his family are an inspiration to all of us."