PENNSYLVANIA RECORD

A Delaware County father sustained a variety of injuries after a large room

divider came crashing down on him at a local college where he was attending an event for his son, the man claims in a new civil filing.

Gary Moyer and his wife, Catherine M. Moyer, of Media, Pa., are suing Swarthmore College and the United States Youth Soccer Association over the April 25, 2012 incident that allegedly occurred in a banquet room at the college.

Gary Moyer was attending a soccer banquet for his son, who has autism and is non-verbal, when he was crushed by the large partition, according to the complaint.

The incident occurred as he was standing behind his son to watch a video presentation by the soccer organization.

The room divider landed on the plaintiff’s left leg and foot, the suit states, causing Moyer to sustain abrasions and lacerations, cellulitis and abscess, infected hematoma of the left leg with necrotic skin requiring surgical debridement and extensive wound care, and aggravation of pre-existing conditions.

Moyer, the suit says, also sustained emotional and psychological trauma, agonizing pains, mental anguish and humiliation, disfigurement and a limitation on his daily activities.

The plaintiff claims he has had to spend a great deal of money on medical expenses, and that he has experienced earnings losses due to his inability to work during the course of his physical recovery.

The complaint faults the defendants for failing to properly secure the room divider, failing to properly inspect the premises, failing to make necessary repairs, failing to provide adequate safeguards to prevent injuries to those attending the sports banquet, causing a dangerous and hazardous condition to exist, and failing to correct the dangerous condition.

The plaintiffs seek more than $50,000 in compensatory damages, plus delay damages, attorney’s fees and court costs.

In addition to the general negligence count against both defendants, the lawsuit also contains a loss of consortium claim filed on behalf of Catherine Moyer, in which the woman claims she has been deprived of her husband’s assistance, comfort and companionship due to his injuries.

The Moyers are being represented by Springfield, Pa. attorney Alfred V. Altopiedi, who filed the civil action Aug. 6 at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

 

The case ID number is 130800260.