by Clare Duffy |
The family of a man who died after a fall in the Chiles Center in 2014 is suing the University of Portland for $13.3 million.
According to a lawsuit filed last week in Multnomah County Circuit Court, the University had hired Thomas Charles Smith Jr.'s company, Showdrape LLC to help prepare the Chiles Center for the inauguration of President Fr. Mark Poorman.
The lawsuit states that Smith, 55, was using the University's Genie Personal Lift machine to set up lighting and sound about 20 feet above the floor on Sept. 22, 2014. Smith fell to the gym floor and struck his head after the lift tipped over.
Smith died on Dec. 30, 2014 after multiple surgeries at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and a stay in hospice. He is survived by his wife, mother and three adult children.
The suit alleges that the lift was not "in a safe condition," that the outrigger supports for the lift were not provided or made available by the University and that the University did not provide adequate safety instruction for the machine's operation. The suit also holds the machine's manufacturer, Genie Industries, Inc., responsible.
The University does not comment on pending litigation.
Clare Duffy is the news editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at duffy17@up.edu or on Twitter @claresduff.
