CHARLESTON – A St. Albans man says he was injured in a restroom while working at the state Capitol Complex.
Marion Washington filed his complaint in Kanawha Circuit Court against Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley Inc., the West Virginia Office of General Service and West Virginia Governor James C. Justice II.
According to his complaint, Washington was working for the state on October 21, 2019, when he walked into a restroom in Building 7 of the complex when his feet suddenly slipped on a wet substance on the floor, causing him to fall.
He says the floor was wet and hazardous because of the cleaning performed by contracted maintenance workers from Goodwill. He says there were no signs or warnings of a wet floor.
Washington says he sustained serious injuries to his left shoulder and right knee, specifically a torn rotator cuff, torn labrum and torn meniscus. He says he has suffered lost wages, earning capacity, physical pain and trauma, emotional distress, increased anxiety and the inability to do many activities of daily living.
He seeks compensatory damages, court costs, interest and other relief.
In its answer, Goodwill denies the allegations and seeks to have the case dismissed, as do the governor’s office and OGS.
Washington is being represented by Thomas D. Hall of Hall and Copetas Law in Pittsburgh, Pa. Goodwill is being represented by Michael D. Mullins and S. Caleb Davis of Steptoe & Johnson’s Charleston office. The governor’s office is being represented by Johnnie E. Brown and James A. Muldoon of Pullin Fowler Flanagan Brown & Poe in Charleston. OGS is being represented by Dwayne E. Cyrus and Tyler L. Rittenhouse of Shuman McCuskey Slicer in Charleston.
The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 21-C-892