PHILADELPHIA – A telecommunications giant has sued the City of Philadelphia for equipment damages it asserts it sustained during a major water main break two summers ago.
Verizon Pennsylvania, LLC of Basking Ridge, N.J. filed suit on Feb. 3 in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, against the City Of Philadelphia.
“On or about July 27, 2015, a water main, owned and controlled by the defendant, the City of Philadelphia, broke at Academy Road and Convent Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, causing Academy Road to collapse, damaging Verizon’s conduit and destroying its copper cable,” Verizon’s suit claims.
Verizon alleges the City’s negligence in maintaining the water main created the type of dangerous condition of streets that could have foretold this type of injury and that on Sept. 17, 2015, it placed the City on notice of the claim in accordance with statutory requirements.
Verizon says it incurred repair costs of $29,048.82 to repair the conduit, cable, wires and telecommunications facilities, and quoted City Code Section 11-705 that “a Licensee or City agency shall be liable for damage that it, or a person working for it, causes to the right-of-way or to any property or facilities owned or used by the City, other Licensees, or other users of the right-of-way, and shall promptly repair or reimburse the City for damage to the right-of-way, and promptly reimburse the owner of the damaged facilities for damages thereto.”
Due to counts of negligence and nuisance, the plaintiff is seeking damages of $29,048.82, plus costs, attorney’s fees and other relief.
The plaintiffs are represented by Andrew L. Salvatore in West Chester.
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 170104968
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com