Hotel Handrail Electrocution Leaves Girl, Six, With Severe Brain Damage
Hotel Handrail Electrocution Leaves Girl, Six, With Severe Brain Damage
A young girl suffered severe brain damage after being electrocuted by a hotel handrail at an MGM resort. Zynae Green, aged just six, sustained serious injuries after touching the rail at an outdoor area of the MGM National Harbor Hotel, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. It sent 120 volts of electricity coursing through her body, sending her into cardiac arrest. The youngster can no longer walk or talk, and it is believed she will be left in a semi-vegetative state for the rest of her life. Zynae’s family is now suing MGM over the tragic incident, which happened in June.
Zynae suffered the serious electric show when she placed her hands on a lit-up handrail, next to a fountain feature. A security guard was also electrocuted as he pulled the girl away from the railing. Zynae went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to a hospital, where she had to stay for two months. She was eventually moved to a specialist rehabilitation clinic for round-the-clock care. Her family’s lawyer says she suffered anoxic brain damage and will never recover.
How did it Happen?
The incident happened in the Potomac Plaza – an outdoor patio area at the MGM resort. County investigators examined the area and discovered that the electrocution was caused by a catalog of errors, including safety equipment which failed due to poor installation. Their report shows that a device – an LED driver – was meant to control the electric current which was powering the handrail lights. The LED driver failed because the wrong type of wiring was used and was not properly insulated. Some components were also installed too close together, creating a risk of overheating. The end result was a ‘live’ handrail with 120 volts of electricity running through it – 10 times more than the 12 volts it should have been limited to.
Premises Liability
Zynae’s family is suing MGM National Harbor and MGM National Grand for negligence. The world-famous resort chain has, in turn, blamed the contractor responsible for wiring the outdoor area, based on the findings of investigators. However, the lawsuit claims that MGM is responsible for the wiring at its resort, and says that there was no defibrillator on hand. It also claims that construction may have been rushed to get the two-year-old resort open quickly and meet demand after the legalization of gambling in Maryland. An MGM spokesman said the company will respond to the lawsuit in court.
No matter who is found to be culpable in this situation, the bottom line is that a young girl’s life has been changed forever. In such cases, it is possible for people to take legal action – as Zynae Green’s family is doing – to seek compensation and make sure those responsible are held accountable. For expert help in premises liability cases such as this, contact the experienced lawyers of Bisnar Chase.
