A tragic accident involving a malfunctioning garage door has led to a lawsuit filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. On September 26, 2022, Paula J. Shetter suffered severe injuries resulting in partial amputation of her fingers due to the negligence of Valley Properties, Inc., and Timothy Favo doing business as Oakmont Realty Management. The complaint was filed by Wesley T. Long, Esquire, on behalf of Paula J. Shetter and her husband Bruce E. Shetter.
According to the complaint, Valley Properties owns and operates residential apartment units at 220 Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. The property is managed by Timothy Favo under Oakmont Realty Management. Paula's mother, Geraldine Sollinger, leased an apartment from Valley Properties that included access to a garage operated by an automatic door opener supplied by the landlord.
On September 26, 2022, Paula discovered that the automatic garage door opener was not functioning and immediately reported it to Timothy Favo for urgent repair due to her mother's severe medical issues requiring access to the garage. Despite repeated attempts to contact Favo on September 27, 2022, no action was taken to repair the door opener.
Later that day, Paula attempted to manually open the garage door but ended up partially amputating her index and middle fingers on her left hand when they became lodged between the panels while closing it. As stated in the complaint: "By reason of the injuries aforesaid, Paula has undergone great mental and physical pain... all of which is the direct and proximate result of the negligence and carelessness of the Defendants."
The plaintiffs argue that Valley Properties failed in their duty to inspect and repair the malfunctioning garage door opener despite being notified about its defective condition. They also claim that Timothy Favo neglected his responsibility for maintaining safe conditions at the property. The suit alleges violations including failure to maintain safe premises and non-compliance with lease obligations regarding maintenance.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding $50,000 for each count against both defendants along with interest and costs associated with medical treatments and future expenses related to Paula's injuries. Bruce E. Shetter is also claiming damages for loss of consortium due to his wife's injuries.
Representing Paula J. Shetter and Bruce E. Shetter is attorney Wesley T. Long from Long & Long LLC based in Greensburg, PA. The case will be heard before judges at Allegheny County Court with Case ID yet unspecified.