WEST READING, Pa. — A woman who lives adjacent to the West Reading chocolate factory that was destroyed in an explosion last Friday filed a civil lawsuit against the company, claiming that its negligence caused her to suffer personal injury and other damages.
Attorneys representing Betty Wright, who lives in an apartment near the explosion site on South Second Avenue, filed a lawsuit against the RM Palmer Company Monday in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, court records show.
Wright claims the company's negligence, which includes the failure to "properly inspect, repair and/or test the property," led to the catastrophic explosion that killed seven people and injured several others, including Wright.
In the lawsuit, Wright claims she was at home when the explosion occurred, shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday.
The explosion caused her "to be lifted from her feet and blown across the room, causing severe and permanent injuries," the lawsuit claims.
The suit claims Wright suffered cervical, lumbar, hip and leg injuries, along with anxiety and loss of personal belongings.
She also suffered scarring and permanent disfigurement, along with "significant" wage loss and an impairment to her earning capacity and potential, the lawsuit says.
Wright is also unable to access her home and personal belongings due to the explosion, according to the lawsuit.
The RM Palmer Company "carelessly and recklessly failed to properly distribute, select, install, repair, maintain, use, test, monitor and/or inspect the property and/or the gas lines and valves and/or gas applicates on their property which proximately caused and/or contributed to...the explosion on their property and the surrounding zone of danger and the injuries sustained by (Wright)," the lawsuit claims.
Further, the company "negligently and/or recklessly hired, trained, selected, inspected, tested and/or supervised the employees and workers that performed the installation, maintenance, and/or repairs to the gas lines and valves, and/or gas appliances present on the property on or before March 24, 2023," the lawsuit says.
The suit claims RMPC had notice of the dangerous conditions existing at the factory and "should have known of the increased danger that was present," the lawsuit claims.
The company also failed to adequately warn Wright and other neighbors about the potentially dangerous conditions on the property, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit asks for damages in an excess of $50,000.