Lawyer Hit by Garbage Can to Get $2.1 Million from Insurers for Des Moines

Insurers for the city of Des Moines paid $2.1 million to a lawyer who alleged he suffered head injuries when he was hit by a falling garbage can.

The city released a copy of its November settlement with Jaysen McCleary in response to open records requests.

McCleary alleges he was struck in January 2014 by a solid waste container that fell from a city truck collecting it outside his home. His lawsuit alleged the city was negligent, and he sought damages for medical expenses and pain and suffering.

During the case, reports from medical experts who evaluated McCleary were inadvertently made public by one of his attorneys. An Iowa Supreme Court justice had ordered the Des Moines Register not to publish the information, but lifted the order.