Family Sues Over Death Following Fall In Work Zone

MOUNT LEBANON, Pa. — (WPXI) – This season is tough especially when you are forced to celebrate the holidays without the ones you love. “My mom was the glue to our family, really she was the one who kept everyone together. Over the holidays she was the one who initiated everything with the family,” said Craig Coester, whose mom died in Mt. Lebanon. Coester is having a hard time describing what life is like without his mom, Bonnie. Coester told our news partners at Channel 11 it was the end of June when his 87-year-old mom was walking through downtown Mt. Lebanon in front of Il Pizzaiolo when she tripped on an improperly placed construction cone, falling forward and striking her head on the curb. She died a few months later from those injuries. Coester is now suing the construction company and Mt. Lebanon over the “Vibrant Uptown Plan” project. The lawsuit alleges that there are areas not properly secured like where Bonnie fell. Attorney Matthew Scanlon claims the cones being used were not placed correctly and are not the proper size, according to federal regulations. Channel 11 reached out to all three parties named in the lawsuit, including the engineering and construction companies. We did not hear back from either and Mt. Lebanon said no comment.