An airport worker has been awarded $ 40 million in compensation for a freak runway accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down more than seven years ago . Brandon Afoa , 33 , of Puyallup , Washington , was operating a tug to push aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when the brakes and steering failed , causing him to crash into a luggage lift . The incident , which took place at 2am on December 26 , 2007 , left Afoa unable to use his legs or right arm . Much of his intestinal tract also had to be removed by surgeons . Afoa went on to sue Port of Seattle - which owns and operates the Sea-Tac airport - in King County Superior Court , saying that the company failed to maintain a safe workplace . Closure : An airport worker has been awarded $ 40 million in compensation for a freak runway accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down more than seven years ago . But for years the case was locked in the courts because the Port of Seattle claimed it was n't liable for what happened as Afoa worked for a private firm . In a bid to move things forward , the state supreme court finally ruled in 2013 that the airport had a 'duty ' to provide a safe working environment . On Tuesday a King County jury awarded Afoa $ 40 million because of what the incident has done to his life . Indeed , the paraplegic needs round-the-clock help from caregivers just to survive . In the courtroom a panel was shown video footage of Afoa being craned from his bed by a special lift to a commode and undergoing therapy . Jurors went on to apportion 25per cent of the blame for the accident to the Port of Seattle . Meanwhile , a number of airlines which weren ’ t part of the lawsuit will pay the rest of the money owed . This is because they had contracts with Afoa 's previous employer - Evergreen Aviation Ground Logistics Enterprises - which has since gone out of business . Commenting on the outcome , Afoa told KOMO-TV : 'It was a relief and I 'm very thankful for the jury for making an awesome decision . ' In a statement , the Port of Seattle expressed its sympathies to Afoa and his family for the accident . The agency says it 's reviewing the decision . If it decides to appeal the verdict , it could delay payment of Afoa 's award .
Brandon Afoa , 33 , of Puyallup was operating a tug to push back aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when the brakes and steering failed , causing him to crash into a luggage lift . The incident , which took place on years , left Afoa unable to use his legs or right arm . For December 26 , 2007 the case was locked in courts because the Port of Seattle claimed it was n't liable as Afoa worked for a private company . However , the state supreme court ruled the airport operator had a 'duty ' to provide a safe working environment . A jury awarded the judgment on Tuesday .