Woman says negligent construction caused son's injuries, death

WHEELING -- A West Virginia woman says a construction company's negligence in the construction of a canopy used at a Holiday Inn Express caused injury to her son, who later died.

Sonya M. Metz, as executor of the estate of Jack Allen Metz Jr., deceased, filed a lawsuit July 16 in Ohio Circuit Court against EAC Construction LLC and John Doe.

Metz says on July 30, 2012, her son was working as an electrician for another construction company and trying to install light fixtures into a motel's front entrance canopy that was constructed and installed by the defendants. The canopy was approximately 15 feet off of the ground, the suit states.

The plaintiff alleges the defendants' negligently obstructed access from below the ceiling of the canopy which forced her son to move up into the canopy to install the lights. It collapsed while he was working inside and Jack fell to the ground.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants were negligent in failing to construct the canopy so that it would not collapse and the ceiling could accommodate a worker to complete installations. Sonya Metz says this negligence caused her son to suffer pain and injury and to be unable to enjoy his life until his death Oct. 7, 2013.

The plaintiff demands a judgment to compensate the estate for damages, with pre- and post- judgment interest. She is represented by Frank Cuomo of Cuomo and Cuomo Attorneys at Law in Wheeling.

Ohio Circuit Court case 14-C-209