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Family sues New York City utility over woman's fatal manhole fall
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Key Points:
- The family of Donike Goncaj, a 56-year-old grandmother who died after falling into an open manhole in Midtown Manhattan, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Con Edison, the utility responsible for the manhole.
- Goncaj fell on May 18 at 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue and died from scald burns and thermal inhalation caused by steam, with the medical examiner ruling her death an accident.
- The lawsuit alleges Con Edison workers failed to properly seal the manhole cover, creating a foreseeable danger, and accuses the utility of negligence and reckless disregard for pedestrian safety.
- Con Edison stated that a truck dislodged the manhole cover, a rare occurrence, and said it is investigating the incident while cooperating with city authorities.
- Goncaj’s domestic partner witnessed the fall and attempted a rescue; he and Goncaj’s son are seeking unspecified damages in the suit filed in New York State Supreme Court.
