Man falls off ladder, sues

MARTINSBURG - A carpenter who says he fell of a ladder while installing a porch beam is suing the company that hired him for $ 1 million.

Bernard D. Gongloff filed a lawsuit May 5 in Berkeley Circuit Court through attorney Peter Friday of Pittsburgh law firm Woomer and Friday.

The lawsuit charges Manor House Builders at Amberfield and Michael T. Silva, individually and doing business as Austin Builders, with being responsible for a Gongloff's fall on May 12, 2004.

Gongloff, of Chambersburg, Pa., says he was hired by Silva to do carpentry work on real estate and improvements being developed by Manor House. While installing a porch beam and standing on what he described as a "makeshift scaffolding," Gongloff says "The ladder side of the structure collapsed and Plaintiff was caused to fall approximately 10 feet onto a six inch-wide concrete wall, landing on his back."

Gongloff says he suffered a broken vertebrae, left elbow fracture, right cheek bone bruising, headaches, bilateral hand pain, left shoulder impingement, lumbar strain, radial head trauma, back trauma, hernaturia, nausea, nerve injury, nervousness and an inability to sleep to due to pain.

He is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages in excess of $ 1 million.

Judge David Sanders has been assigned the case.

Berkeley Circuit Court case number 06-C-320