PITTSBURGH – A woman injured in a Pittsburgh hotel ballroom while watching her daughter’s dance recital, alleges that a negligent makeshift table setup used for the event was the proximate cause of her injuries.
Nicole Feldhues and William Feldhues of Coraopolis filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on March 28 versus Precision Arts Challenge, Inc. of Wilmington, Ill. and Pit Hotel Partners, LLC (doing business as “Doubletree by Hilton, Pittsburgh – Greentree”) of Pittsburgh.
“Plaintiff Nicole Feldhues was an invitee at the dance competition hosted by defendant Precision Arts Challenge, Inc. Plaintiff Nicole Feldhues’ daughter was a participant in the dance competition, and plaintiff attended the event to watch her daughter’s performance. The dance competition was held in the ballroom at defendant Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. The hotel ballroom was completely flat, with no existing elevated surface to set up computer and audiovisual equipment,” the suit says.
“Defendant Precision Arts Challenge, Inc. and their employees erected a makeshift equipment setup in the back of the ballroom where the event was held. The makeshift setup consisted of several banquet tables arranged to form a platform, with additional tables stacked on top of the banquet tables. The tables stacked on top of the banquet tables had large and heavy computer and audiovisual equipment set up on top of them. Several personnel stood atop the makeshift table setup, on the banquet tables that formed the ‘platform’ to operate the computer/audiovisual equipment.”
The suit adds the Doubletree hotel manager commented that the setup was “dangerous and potentially hazardous”, but never instructed for it to be taken down – and further, that defendant Precision Arts Challenge, Inc.’s employees “did not make any effort to move or stabilize the table setup upon hearing the hotel manager’s concerns.”
“Defendant Doubletree Hotel employees did not make any effort to move or stabilize the table setup upon hearing the hotel manager’s concerns. The aforementioned elevated recording and camera table was set up directly behind audience members, including plaintiff Nicole Feldhues. During the recital, plaintiff Nicole Feldhues was standing behind the last row of chairs, directly in front of the makeshift elevated recording and camera table. There was no barricade separating this makeshift setup from audience seating,” the suit states.
“The makeshift setup was in very close proximity to where plaintiff Nicole Feldhues and other audience members were standing and seated. Suddenly, and without warning, the makeshift table setup toppled over and the heavy equipment stacked on the table came crashing down directly onto plaintiff Nicole Feldhues with great force, such that she was knocked forward over the chairs in front of her. After the incident, a witness overheard staff of either defendant Precision Arts Challenge, Inc. or defendant Doubletree Hotel state ‘we never used this setup before.’ Plaintiff Nicole Feldhues was transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital to be treated for her injuries.”
The complaint continues that plaintiff Nicole Feldhues suffered headaches, numbness and tingling in extremities, cervical strain, cervical spasm, trapezius strain, trapezius spasm, narrowing of the spine, neck pain, upper back pain and shoulder pain.
For counts of negligence and loss of consortium, the plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of the applicable arbitration limits, exclusive of costs and interests.
The plaintiffs are represented by George M. Kontos and Katie A. Killion of Kontos Mengine Killion & Hassen, in Philadelphia.
The defendants have not yet obtained legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-004429
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com