PHILADELPHIA – A Best Western hotel employee in Concordville is suing a number of defendants for damages after his right hand was allegedly crushed in a trash compactor.
Leo Armstrong of Aston filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on Sept. 12 versus Eagle Equipment Corporation of Bristol, Equipment Resources Corp. of Exton, Waste Management, Inc. a.k.a. Waste Management of Pennsylvania Corp. (doing business as “Waste Management”) of Fairless Hills and Waste Management of Pennsylvania, Inc., of Primos.
On Sept. 18, 2015, Armstrong was in the course of his employment with Best Western Plus Concordville Hotel, a.k.a. Concordville Hotel, Inc., and was on its premises. Armstrong was operating the vertical trash compactor next to the hotel, when he says his right hand was crushed in the compactor due to the negligence of the defendants.
The plaintiff believes the defendants were vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees under the respondeat superior theory of liability and were negligent for failing to maintain the compactor and ensure that all of its safety lights were fully operable, failing to warn him of the dangers of pressing the container away switch by hand, failing to properly place the trash container in the trash compactor so that that container away switch would be pressed and the trash compactor would function properly, among numerous other charges and accusations.
Armstrong suffered a crush injury to the right hand, primarily at the index, middle and fourth digits, laceration and disfigurement of the third digit, permanent range of motion deficits to the index and middle fingers and constant digit and hand pain, in addition to physical pain, mental anguish, discomfort, inconvenience, distress and permanent scars and disfigurements, the suit says.
For a lone count of negligence against all defendants, the plaintiff is seeking damages, jointly and severally, in excess of $50,000 in compensatory damages, plus interest and costs as the Court deems appropriate.
The plaintiff is represented by Jeffrey J. Dodds in Media.
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 170901176
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com