Abstract: At approximately 7:30 p.m. on January 3, 1994, Employee #1 and another employee of Motion Picture Theater were instructed by their manager to change the letters on the theater marquee. Employee #1 used a 12 foot aluminum stepladder to access and egress the work platform. After removing the letters and passing them to the other employee, Employee #1 sat on the edge of the work platform and told the other employee that he was going to jump off the platform rather than use the ladder. Employee #1 used excessive force when he pushed himself off the platform, causing his body to rotate and his head and shoulders to strike the asphalt first. Employee #1 was taken by helicopter to Fairfax Hospital's Shock/Trauma Unit with a less than 20 percent chance of survival.