An ironworker who suffered catastrophic injuries in a 20-ft fall at a construction site at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., has reached a $40-million settlement shortly before trial.The case stems from a May 25, 2023, incident at Fermilab, a particle physics and accelerator lab, where journey ironworker James Daniels was working on the $978-million Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II) project, planned to upgrade the lab’s particle accelerator to accommodate future research. The settlement on behalf of Daniels was reached with the project’s general contractor, Whittaker Construction and Excavation Co. (WCEI), and the owner/construction manager, Fermi Research Alliance. Daniels, a member of Ironworkers Local 1 with six years of experience, was employed by subcontractor Nucor Harris Rebar Placement of Belvidere, Ill., at the time of the incident. Although experienced in structural ironwork, he was performing his first rebar installation assignment on the project, according to case filings.…