PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County woman alleges she suffered both eye and facial injuries as a 14-year-old at North Hills High School in 2019, when she was struck with a flying block of wood during a wood shop class.
Emma Brown filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Aug. 10 versus North Hills School District, of McMurray.
“On Nov. 12, 2019, Brown, then 14 years old, was attending her wood shop class in the North Hills High School wood shop classroom. The classroom contained a miter saw bolted to a table, and the table to which the miter saw was bolted was itself bolted to the floor,” the suit says.
“Brown was standing near a different table saw, several feet from the miter saw, observing and receiving instruction from her shop teacher, Mr. Derby. At this time, someone started the nearby miter saw. There was a loose piece of wood near the miter saw’s blade, which the blade caught and then launched across the room.”
The suit adds there was no guard or barrier between the miter saw and the nearby area where Brown was standing.
“The piece of wood struck Brown in the right eye and nose area. Brown complained of pain and discomfort, and she was taken to the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Emergency Room,” the suit states.
“As a result of being struck by the flying piece of wood, Brown suffered the following injuries: Scratched cornea in the right eye, blood clot on the optic nerve, detached retina, concussion, chronic migraines, worsened vision, floaters in her vision and a deviated nasal septum.”
For one count of negligence, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of the mandatory arbitration limits, exclusive of costs and interest.
The plaintiff is represented by Scott D. Glassmith of Gismondi & Associates, in Pittsburgh.
The defendant has not yet obtained legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-009684
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com