PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia pipe worker has initiated legal action against a mechanical contracting firm, the City of Philadelphia’s School District and a number of unknown corporations, claiming their collective negligence led to his severe injuries in an accident during his professional duties last year.
Donald Chappell and Arriane Chappell of Philadelphia filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on June 12 versus Edward J. Meloney, Inc. of Lansdowne, the School District of Philadelphia and John Doe Corporations 1-10.
Chappell avers he was working in the boiler room of Martin Luther King High School performing piping work on Jan. 29, 2016, and that defendant Edward J. Meloney, Inc. had previously created and failed to remove a large amount of debris in the boiler room where he was working. Further, Chappell says this amount of debris forced him to use a ladder to perform his piping work, instead of the required scaffolding that is normally used.
“As plaintiff was on the ladder, a piece of piping fell and hit plaintiff’s leg, causing him to fall from the ladder and violently strike the ground 15 feet below. Plaintiff landed directly on his back, causing excruciating pain and serious, devastating and permanent injuries, more fully discussed herein. As a result of his accident and injuries thereof, plaintiff was admitted to hospitals for nearly three weeks.
“As a direct and proximate result of the negligence, gross negligence, carelessness, recklessness and other liability-producing conduct of the defendants, plaintiff, Donald Chappell, sustained serious, severe and permanent disabling injuries, including, but not limited to: Multiple transverse lumbar fractures at L1-L4 vertebrae; central disc herniation at L4-L5 and L5-S1 vertebrae; rib fractures; bilateral neural forminal narrowing; lumbar spondylosis and erectile dysfunction,” the lawsuit reads, in addition to other emotional, psychological, neurological, psychiatric and orthopedic injuries.
The complaint charges the defendants owed Chappell and other persons at the work site a duty to provide them with a safe environment, should have known of the circumstances which led to Chappell’s injuries and their ignorance towards same constituted professional negligence.
For counts of negligence and loss of consortium, the plaintiffs are seeking jointly and severally, in excess of $50,000 in compensatory damages, punitive or exemplary damages, delay damages, interest and allowable costs of suit, in this matter.
The plaintiffs are represented by Larry Bendesky, Adam J. Pantano and Samuel B. Dordick of Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky, in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 170601177
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com