Shari Taylor filed her complaint Nov. 21 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Motel 6 Operating L.P., Limited Partnership, G6 Hospitality LLC, general manager Justin Graham and housekeeper Beverly White.
In her complaint, Taylor says she was staying at the Motel 6 in Kanawha City on Feb. 21, 2016, when she stepped on the needle “that was negligently left on her hotel room floor” by a previous customer.
“The needle punctured plaintiff’s left foot and caused her to bleed,” the complaint states. “Defendants failed to properly inspect and/or clean the room prior to making it available to plaintiff.”
In addition to being nine weeks pregnant at the time of the incident, Taylor says she underwent a regimen of preventative treatment for HIV and Hepatitis C.
“Plaintiff experienced pregnancy complications as a result of the subject incident and/or the related preventative treatment,” the complaint states. “During her entire pregnancy, plaintiff suffered serious emotional distress over the possibility that she and her unborn child may have contracted a serious and potential deadly disease.”
Taylor says she has sustained serious bodily injury, mental anguish, emotional distress, past and future medical care and treatment, past and future medical bills, past and future lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of ability to enjoy life and loss of ability to attend to normal customary business and social affairs.
She accuses the defendants of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. She seeks compensatory and punitive damages as well as pre- and post-judgment interest, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
Taylor is being represented by attorneys Phillip Estep, Todd S. Bailess and Rodney A. Smith of Bailess Smith in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Duke Bloom.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 16-C-1749
