Blind pedestrian says improper construction safety caused accident

A blind Philadelphia woman says that a construction crew failed to fully block a torn up

section of the sidewalk, causing her to trip and injure herself while walking on the path, according to a personal injury suit filed at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Kimberly Williams, of the 1900 block of Woodstock St. in Philadelphia, filed the suit against the 1963 Group, LLC, which owns the building on Bustleton Ave. and ordered repairs on the sidewalk, Grosso Construction, Inc., the general contractor, and O.K. Plumbing, LLC, the sub-contractor hired to perform plumbing work and other construction services. She seeks damages in excess of $50,000 for her injuries sustained from the fall.

According to the complaint, on June 2, 2012, Williams was walking on Bustleton Ave. with the assistance of a cane when she approached a section of the sidewalk that had been torn up by the construction crew. She tripped over the uneven walkway and injured her back, wrist, knee, shoulder and muscles. As a result, Williams had to provide coverage for the medical expenses related to her recovery and rehabilitation.

The plaintiff says that the site workers failed to give adequate warning to passersby at the construction area. The claim blames the crew for neglecting to erect a fence or obstacle that would prevent pedestrians from walking through the worksite.

Williams is represented by Lawren Nelson of the Philadelphia-based Edelstein Martin & Nelson.

The case ID number is 140503154.