A Cook County woman is suing a manufacturer of heavy equipment that allegedly malfunctioned, killing her husband.
Julia Moreno, special administrator of the estate of Martin Moreno, filed a lawsuit Sept. 11 in Cook County Circuit Court against Wirtgen America Inc., Wirtgen Group, Wirtgen GmbH, Roland Machinery Co., Hayden-Murphy Equipment and Company and GA Paving, alleging negligence.
In September 2013, the complaint says, Martin Moreno was killed when he was pulled into a rotating grinder of a Wirtgen road milling machine near South May Street in Chicago. According to the suit, the machine was unreasonably dangerous because it lacked adequate warnings, guards and sensors to ensure the safety of its operators.
The lawsuit states the defendants were negligent in designing an unsafe machine and failed to adequately train its users.
Julia Morena seeks a jury trial and damages of more than $50,000, plus court costs. She is represented by attorneys David E. Rapoport and Matthew S. Sims of Rapoport Law Offices in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2015-L-010406.