Sam Adams security officer sues delivery service after driver hits him with truck

A security guard's at a Lehigh County brewery got into a physical confrontation with a delivery driver that ended with the driver hitting the guard with his truck, according to a federal lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The suit says that on Feb. 24, 2014, Aung Tha was working security for the Sam Adams Brewery in Breinigsville, Pa., as an employee of Securitas. At one point, he got into a verbal argument with Matthew Chace, a driver for Leonard's Express, Inc., based in Farmington, N.Y.

The verbal confrontation turned physical, the complaint says, with Tha sustaining injuries. When Chace got into his truck, Tha stepped in front of the tractor trailer to get the registration information. According to the claim, Chace moved the truck forward slowly, striking Tha and knocking him to the ground.

The plaintiff seeks more than $75,000 in damages from Chace and Leonard's Express for injuries to his knee and shoulder, plus experiencing humiliation, embarrassment and fear of death. Tha says he has been forced to pay for multiple doctor and hospital visits while having a diminished earning capacity because the injuries have interfered with his daily duties.

Tha blames Chace and Leonard's Express on multiple counts of negligence. According to the complaint, Chace operated his truck while angry and allowed it to strike Tha.

"The actions of [Chace] were intentional, wilful, wanton and outrageous entitling
[Tha] to punitive damages," the complaint says.

As Chace's employer, Leonard's Express is accused of negligent hiring practices. The company had a duty to use reasonable care to select an employee who was competent and fit to perform the duties required as an employee, the complaint says.

Tha is represented by Richard Orloski in Allentown.

The federal case ID number is 5:14-cv-04546-EGS.