An Illinois baggage handler is reportedly suing the Toronto Maple Leafs for shoulder injuries allegedly sustained while the team attempted to rush out of St. Louis, Mo. The event occurred almost exactly a year ago, on Jan. 18, the night following the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues, capping off an abysmal road trip. Their next game was set for Jan. 19 back in Toronto, according to Pension Plan Puppets.
The baggage handler in question is Kenneth Osborne, who filed the suit in St. Clair County, Ill., near St. Louis, on Jan. 8 of this year, according to the Toronto Star. The complaint is against Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment.
The incident occurred when Osborne and his fellow Jet Aviation employees were working with a lever-controlled conveyor belt to load the plane. An equipment worker for the Leafs, who has not been named, is said to have "repeatedly operated the lever in an attempt to speed up the loading operation," according to the Star. He was told not to interfere, but persisted.
It is alleged he "operated the belt loader without permission, [and] turned the belt loader lever to full speed, causing equipment crates to enter the aircraft at a high rate of speed." Osborne and his colleagues, inside the plane at this time, were not prepared for the influx of heavy equipment, and one of the crates reportedly hit Osborne, severely injuring his shoulder.
"It's a private jet so it's being loaded on the tarmac and from the ground up to the cargo load is a conveyor with a lever that controls the speed," stated Matthew R. Chapman, Osborne's attorney, according to Courthouse News. "It was an equipment manager for the team that was on a deadline and didn't think our guys were going fast enough and he kept messing with the lever."
The claim states that Osborne has suffered "severe permanent and disabling injuries" and could lead to "great physical pain and suffering," according to the Star.
Chapman has confirmed this, stating Monday that his client required a "substantial rotator cuff repair" and "substantial post-surgery physical therapy, with medical bills with an approximate figure of about $100,000," according to the Star.
The amount of compensation is unspecified, but the charges are "negligence, and willful and wanton conduct," according to Courthouse News.
Toronto Maple Leafs media relations has not yet commented on the issue publicly.
