The collapse led to the death of seven people and the injuries of 12 other victims. Survivors of the deceased victims, along with victims injured in the collapse, were represented by attorneys from four different law firms, In addition the members of the talented Plaintiffs’ trial team who represented the seven individuals who died as a result of this tragedy include Robert J. Mongeluzzi and Jeffrey P. Goodman of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, Harry M. Roth and James Begley of Cohen, Placitella, & Roth, and Adam Grutzmacher of Clearfield & Kofsky.
Wapner Newman represented the families of two victims in the building collapse, the family of Mary Simpson and the family of Roseline Conteh.
The Lives Lost…
Mary Simpson was only 24 years old when she died. She was an aspiring audio engineer who fully devoted herself to her music. She deeply believed in the power and possibility that music could unify a people regardless of differences in race, faith, gender or other divisions.
Roseline Conteh was a 52-year-old nursing assistant. She came to this country from Sierra Leone in Africa, a country engulfed in civil war for 11 years, during which she lost her mother. From sheer determination, hard work and luck, she made it to the United States, though she had to leave her family behind. Eventually, she brought her husband and other family members to the United States, too.
Roseline educated herself and went to school, taking two jobs and working six days a week. She died on a Wednesday, her only day off. She liked to go to the Salvation Army to purchase clothing for her family, here and in Sierra Leone. Her nickname was ‘Ma’. Active in her community, she never turned anyone down; whenever anyone needed anything, they went to Ma’s house.
Last week, a jury determined that two New York companies engaged in reckless and outrageous behavior, resulting in seven killed and 12 injured – all of whom were in the Salvation Army. The jury found that the Salvation Army was 75 percent responsible for the tragedy.
At the time that the contractor and excavator were being prosecuted, our attorneys told the media that there was a larger story that needed to be told. It was that story that the attorneys told during this case. The jury obviously agreed with their assessment: the two individuals who were criminally prosecuted were only held 1 percent responsible for the collapse, while the jury held the Salvation Army primarily responsible for the loss of life and trauma of all victims.
The tragic building collapse, like so many other tragedies, did not have to happen. This civil trial provides relief to the victims of that collapse, but it also sends a strong message to businesses that safety should always be a top priority.
The results of this case are a testament to the power of the United States’ legal system.
Breeden, along with three other mentally disabled victims, was rescued from a Tacony sub-basement after nearly a decade of unthinkable abuse. Weston had kept the victims as captives “in a living hell” in order to steal their Social Security disability benefits. Wapner Newman stated that Breeden “was the victim of a cruel and twisted and sick woman.” Breeden sustained physical, mental, and sexual abuse that resulted in pregnancies.
If you or someone you know have been the victim of abuse and need representation in a lawsuit, please contact us for a free legal consultation.
The plaintiff, 60 years old at the time of her fall, sustained left knee medial and lateral meniscus tears and a medial femoral condyle fracture requiring multiple injections and surgical repair and a left shoulder full thickness rotator cuff tear requiring multiple injections as a result of the trip and fall within the defendant’s premises. Attorney Getson successfully argued that the defendant had a duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition for its contemplated use and the purpose for which the invitation was extended to the plaintiff and therefore should be responsible for the damages sustained by the plaintiff.
Attorney Getson joined Wapner Newman as an Associate in April 2004 and focuses his practice in Plaintiffs’ Civil Trial Litigation.
Mr. Getson joined the firm as an Associate in April 2004 and focuses his practice in Plaintiffs’ CIvil Trial Litigation. In September 2006, he joined with Wapner Newman attorney Robert S. Miller in securing a $1.45 million settlement for a 55-year-old former carpenter in Burlington County, New Jersey injured in a car accident.
In the March 2008 issue of Pennsylvania Jury Verdict Review & Analysis, Personal Injury Attorney in Pennsylvania, Adam Getson was featured for his successful representation of an injured passenger, which resulted in an award of $31,500. During the two-day trial, Attorney Getson was able to prove to the jury that his client suffered injuries due to the negligence of the uninsured driver she was riding with. The jury found the defendant 100% negligent and awarded Attorney Getson’s client compensation. Pennsylvania Jury Verdict Review & Analysis included a summary and analysis of Attorney Getson’s successful trial recently.