A Montgomery County man is suing the company that provided rides for last year’s Fonda Fair, alleging he got injured after helping to break down the equipment.
Fort Plain resident Brett McCord is seeking unspecified damages from Florida-based Reithoffer Shows in the lawsuit filed May 11 in state Supreme Court in Montgomery County.
According to the suit, McCord sub-contracted to help break down machinery after the fair. In the suit filed by Gloversville attorney Robert Abdella, McCord alleges he was helping to disassemble the “Madagascar” ride Sept. 6 when another employee dropped a piece of the machinery on his leg.
The lawsuit contends McCord’s injuries left him disabled, undergoing “great pain and suffering” and says he will have to “submit to medical treatment in and about endeavoring to be cured of his medical injuries.”
The lawsuit claims negligence on the part of the company, which it alleges failed to provide proper training and supervision of the work.
Efforts to reach Abdella were unsuccessful Tuesday, and a phone listing for McCord has been disconnected.
The Fonda Fair, run by the Montgomery County Agricultural Society, contracts with Reithoffer Shows and doesn’t face any liability concerns due to the company’s efforts to hire locals for work, Fonda Fair Manager Jeffrey Dufel said. The company does all the hiring and has its own insurance, hesaid.
Reithoffer Shows makes it a point to offer work to people in the communities where shows take place, Reithoffer representative Gary Alberry said. The jobs filled by local residents include ride operators, and often go to teens with working papers.
Positions disassembling machinery are given only to those aged 18 and above, and injuries, when they happen, are covered by worker’s compensation.
The Fonda Fair is scheduled this year for Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, with country music artist Kelly Pickler headlining entertainment, Dufel said.
Categories: Schenectady County
