WILLIAMSPORT – A Snyder County couple have sued a host of defendants they believe are responsible for injuries the husband-plaintiff’s allegedly sustained on the job, while building a new facility for Geisinger Medical Center.
Robert T. Wright and Yvonne C. Wright of Beavertown filed suit in the Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas on Feb. 27 versus 42 defendants, including Massaro Construction of Pittsburgh, Yates Construction of Philadelphia and Biloxi, Miss., Nucor Corporation of Charlotte, N.C., Highmark, Inc. of Camp Hill, Geisinger Medical Center of Danville, many others related to those companies, engineering firms, in addition to other John Doe defendants and Doe Corporations.
Wright, in his professional duties, was tasked with helping to construct “Geisinger Medical Center Muncy” in Muncy Township, leading to the subject events at issue, which took place on Oct. 27, 2020.
“On Oct. 27, 2020, Plaintiff Robert Wright was injured while performing his job duties as an employee, hired from the Iron Workers Local Union No. 404, for Century Steel Erectors, Inc. Plaintiff-husband was injured on that date while performing a task requested by his Century Steel supervisor, to tighten bolts on the cantilever portion of the Geisinger Medical Center Muncy structure. The bolts plaintiff-husband was instructed to tighten are identified as Nucor Model A325TC tension bolts, believed to be designed, manufactured and sold by defendants Nucor,” the suit says.
“While plaintiff-husband was performing his job duties, as a direct and proximate result of the defects associated with the aforementioned Nucor bolts, these bolts failed and the cantilever structure collapsed causing plaintiff-husband to fall a distance of 15 feet or more, onto the hard ground and material, causing him serious, personal injuries. Plaintiff-husband was not told of the unsafe conditions associated with the subject products and/or of the subject property and conditions. No warnings were provided by defendants or the property owners of these unsafe conditions that caused injury.”
The suit adds that the plaintiff-husband suffered injuries to his head, his arms, his shoulders, his back, his neck, his ribs, his spine and other injuries and damages.
“Plaintiff-husband suffered in particular, (a) a concussion; (b) lacerations and contusions to his head; (c) injuries to his spine, including but not limited to fractures at T-1, T-10-12; (d) injuries to his spine, at L1-L3; (e) injuries to his elbow(s) including fracture; (f) fractures to his ribs, including the 10th 11th and 12th ribs; (g) a pulmonary contusion; (h) internal injuries to his organs; (i) injury to his body, including but not limited to an inguinal hernia and damage; (j) an ascending aortic aneurysm; (k) pleural effusion/hemothorax; (1) right elbow fracture and other injuries, the full extent of which are not known, some or all of which are permanent,” the suit states.
“Plaintiffs have suffered and have incurred economic damages, including, but not limited to (a) medical expenses, past and future; (b) lost wages, past and future. Plaintiff-husband suffered physical pain, suffering, and lost life's pleasures, past and future. Plaintiff-husband suffered scarring and disfigurement.”
For multiple counts of negligence, strict liability and loss of consortium, the plaintiffs are seeking, jointly and severally, damages in excess of $50,000, exclusive of compensatory damages, delay damages, interest and costs.
The plaintiffs are represented by Arthur L. Bugay of Williams Cedar, in Philadelphia.
The defendants have not yet secured legal counsel.
Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas case CV-2024-00232
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com