PHILADELPHIA – A New Jersey woman who was a passenger traveling on a bus for Harrah’s Casino is suing for damages after allegedly being injured when the bus in question cut off another vehicle in Philadelphia traffic two years ago.
Daniela Lizardo of Pennsauken, N.J. filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on May 13 versus Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc. (doing business as “Harrah’s Casino”) of Harrisburg, Harrah’s Casino (doing business as “Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack) of Chester, JHL International Corporation of Gaithersburg, Md., Richard Williams of Damascus, Md., John/Jane Does Nos. 1-5 and John/Jane Doe Corporations, Nos. 1-5.
“On May 19, 2018, at approximately 6:20 p.m., Ms. Lizardo was a passenger on the Courtesy Van…operated by defendant Richard Williams and owned by defendants Harrah’s Casino, JHL International Corporation, John/Jane Does Nos. 1-5 and/or John/Jane Doe Corporations Nos. 1-5, wherein Williams was operating the Courtesy Van in a reckless, careless and negligent manner when he, suddenly and without warning, cut off another vehicle and slammed on his brakes at Penn Square and South Broad Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, causing Lizardo, whose seatbelt did not work, to propel out of her seat and slam onto the floor of the Courtesy Van, sustaining serious and permanent bodily injuries,” the suit states.
“The aforementioned accident was caused by the negligence and carelessness of the defendants and was due in no manner whatsoever to any act or failure to act on the part of plaintiff, Lizardo.”
As a result, Lizardo suffered injuries to her left hip, lumbosacral spine, back, left leg, wrist, mental and emotional injuries, immobility and functional decline, embarrassment and humiliation and a loss of ability to care for herself in the natural course of daily life, the suit says.
The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on June 24, based on the amount sought in the suit and diversity of jurisdiction between the parties.
For multiple counts of negligence and negligence sounding in recklessness, the plaintiff is seeking damages, jointly and severally, in excess of the jurisdictional arbitration limit, plus compensatory damages, interest, costs, attorney’s fees and other relief deemed just and appropriate by the Court.
The plaintiff is represented by Alaina A. Gregorio of Messa & Associates, in Philadelphia.
The defendants are represented by Damian Jackson of Fox Rothschild, in Blue Bell.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case 2:20-cv-03043
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 200500747
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com