Pruntytown visit results in injury, lawsuit

GRAFTON — A Wetzel County resident filed a lawsuit against a state agency for alleged liability in a 2013 event.

Teri Williams brought a complaint against the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Division of Corrections, on April 9 in Taylor Circuit Court, claiming liability in a March 2013 incident.

The plaintiff attended a parole hearing at the Pruntytown Correctional Center located near Grafton in Taylor County on or about March 12, 2013, according to the complaint. The facility is administered by the defendant. Williams allegedly slipped and fell inside the facility on an unmarked drop in a walkway step and/or aisle.

Attributing the accident to negligent upkeep of the premises, the plaintiff cites the defendant with: allowing the area to remain in an unsafe, hazardous and defective condition; failure to exercise reasonable care and diligence in its maintenance; inadequate remediation of substandard conditions; and neglecting to protect the visiting public from risks.

As a result of her fall, Williams alleges injuries to her head, neck, shoulders, back, chest, arms, legs, body chemistry and psyche, complaining of annoyance, inconvenience, physical pain, mental anguish and diminished capacity to function in daily life.

Citing lost wages and earning capacity, as well as medical expenses, the plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs.

Williams is represented by Mallett Law Offices in Wheeling.

Taylor Circuit Court case no. 15-C-19