Morgantown man blames rental company for fall from balcony

MORGANTOWN -- A Monongalia County man claims he fell when a friend's balcony collapsed because the rental company failed to maintain the property.

On Feb. 28, 2004, Aaron Brehove of Morgantown was visiting friends when he stepped onto their balcony for fresh air. When he stepped to the edge of the balcony, nothing happened. However, when he leaned against the railing, the balcony collapsed and Brehove fell 15 feet to the ground in front of Casa De Amici restaurant.

In the suit filed on Feb. 21, Brehove states his friend's landlord is Bossio Enterprises, Inc. of Morgantown which is owned and operated by Louis, Bernard, Sam, and Emilio Bossio, Cynthia Keane, and Karen Potesta. His claim, however, is that Bossio Enterprises, Inc. and its owners were part of a civil conspiracy because they avoided compliance with federal laws.

The rail Brehove leaned against was shorter than federal law states. Also, two support spindles had fallen off or been removed and never replaced leaving a single low bean holding the balcony up, which violates federal, state, and local building codes.

Filed by David M. Grunau of Grunau Law Offices, the suit claims that the lighting was poor on the balcony, and if it had not been, Brehove might have been able to see if there were any structural issues that could be seen.

He also claims Casa De Amici did not act quickly to help him.

Brehove, after his two-story fall, is permanently disabled, disfigured and in severe pain. He faces extreme medical bills, not just for his ambulance ride initially, but for continued doctor visits, plastic surgery, and physical therapy. He has lost his mobility, his wages, and claims he has pre-impact terror. He is seeking a trial by jury to award compensatory damages for his medical bills and lost wages, punitive damages for his agonizing pain and terror, and attorney's fees and court costs.

Monongalia Circuit Court case number: 06-C-106