Man says fire hydrant smashed his hand

CHARLESTON - An Alum Creek man says he was trying to pick up a fire hydrant for his employer when it rolled on his hand in a recently filed lawsuit.

Greg Morgan filed it June 7 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Hughes Supply, Inc., and Jackie McBryer, an employee of the company.

He says he went to obtain the hydrant on June 15, 2004, for VFP Fire Systems. The incident, the complaint says, occurred when he and McBryer were moving the fire hydrant from a fork lift to his truck when she "shoved the hydrant, causing the hydrant to roll onto the plaintiff's hand, smashing the plaintiff's hand between the hydrant and the tailgate of the truck."

It was an injury, he says, that has required $22,000 in medical expenses.

The complaint says Morgan suffered a "displaced fracture of the basal portion of the thumb as well as a fracture of the left index finger, which required surgical intervention and the installation of orthopedic hardware on at least three occasions."

Robert V. Berthold of Berthold, Tiano and O'Dell in Charleston is Morgan's attorney.

He is seeking compensatory damages.

Judge Tod Kaufman has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-1086