MEDIA – A Springfield woman alleges her hotel employer terminated her after she was electrocuted at work while resetting a fuse box switch and requested information about Workers' Compensation.
Auntrenita Meredith filed her suit against Days Inn Hotel in the Court of Common Pleas for Delaware County on July 26.
The suit states Meredith worked at Days Inn as a front desk clerk for a little more than two months. While there, she and her family also resided at the hotel for a discounted price.
In April 2018, the suit states it was noted that the elevator was out of order. Meredith’s supervisor allegedly told her to reset the fuse box as calling an electrician would have been too pricey. Meredith alleges she followed the instruction and the elevator began working again.
When she went up to the seventh floor, a guest allegedly told Meredith that her room didn’t have power. The suit states she went back to the fuse box and realized that switches were on the “off” position. She alleges she called her manager, and once he didn’t answer she called the owner and was instructed to reset the box again.
She alleges she then learned that three more guests didn’t have power. She went back to the fuse box for the third time and called the owner again, who allegedly instructed her to keep resetting the box.
She alleges while resetting a switch, she was electrocuted. She alleges she informed the owner that she refused to continue configuring the fuse box and fell backward into a vending machine. She alleges she felt tingling all throughout her body and suffered dizziness and chest pains. She alleges she told her son and husband to call 911 and she was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in an ambulance.
The next day, the suit states Meredith issued an out-of-work note for a day off but her manager would not accept it. She alleges when she asked about Workers’ Compensation benefits, her manager told her the claim wouldn’t be accepted and then fired her via a letter of termination and her family was evicted from the hotel.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages of more than $50,000, punitive damages plus costs, interests and other relief the court sees fit.
Meredith is represented by Erica A. Shikunov of Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano in Philadelphia.