Dale Boyd
Times-Chronicle
An Oliver man is suing the Interior Health (IH) Authority and South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) after he was allegedly injured on the property during last year’s renovations.
Allen Charles Baker filed the lawsuit in Penticton Provincial Court July 9. He alleges that on Oct. 3, 2019 he tripped over some bolts that were “left from a sign that had been removed.”
“The plaintiff did not observe any signage or barriers warning the public about the bolts or preventing the public from tripping over the bolts,” the statement of claim reads.
Baker was approximately 10 feet from the main entrance to SOGH when he tripped over the half-inch high bolts, the lawsuit claims, and he fell “striking his head on a bench,” causing a lengthy list of injuries including injury to his head, right eye and face, causing fractures, a concussion, depression, anxiety and “symptoms consistently with post traumatic stress disorder.”
Baker claims he has required ongoing medical treatment and assistance in his day-to-day life from his family and is seeking damages for his future cost of medical care and general damages for pain, suffering, loss of amenities and loss of enjoyment of life.
The lawsuit accuses IH and SOGH of “failing to take any care, or in the alternative any reasonable care, to prevent injury or damage to the plaintiff from any unusual dangers on the grounds,” and states the bolts were removed a day after the incident. The hospital was undergoing renovations at that time.
Interior Health and SOGH have 21 days from the court filing on July 9 to file a response.
