A young girl suffered severe brain damage after being electrocuted by a hotel handrail at an MGM resort. Zynae Green, aged just six, sustained severe injuries after touching the rail in 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 in June.
Zynae suffered a serious electric shock 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 the Accident Happen?
The incident happened in the Potomac Plaza, an outdoor patio area at the MGM Resort. When county investigators examined the scene, they found that a variety of mistakes, including inadequately installed safety equipment, were to blame for the electrocution.
Their report shows that an LED driver was meant to control the electric current that 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 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 Injuries
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 investigators’ findings.
However, the lawsuit claims that MGM is responsible for the wiring at its resort and that there was no defibrillator.
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. A recent hot tub electrocution at a Mexico Resort took the life of a Texas man and critically injured his wife.
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, people can take legal action – as Zynae Green’s family is doing – to seek compensation and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
For expert help in premises liability cases such as this, contact the experienced California hotel injury lawyers of Bisnar Chase.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6404345/Six-year-old-girl-left-brain-damaged-shes-electrocuted-MGM-resort.html
