Sibley, Iowa — A federal judge says a construction worker who was injured in 2018 cannot sue the City of Sibley.
The lawsuit stemmed from a construction accident in downtown Sibley that happened in 2018. Victor Maldonado, of Worthington, was part of a renovation crew that was working on a building in downtown Sibley, on September 26, 2018. During the project, Maldonado was lowering an aluminum down spout to connect to the building’s gutter, when the down spout came in contact with a City of Sibley electrical line that sent a current through the down spout and Maldonado’s body causing, according to the lawsuit, devastating electrical burn injuries, and causing Maldonado to fall off the building’s roof, about 20 feet to the alley below, causing severe injuries.
Maldonado’s lawsuit accused the City of Sibley of negligence for allegedly failing to keep the electrical line a required minimum distance from the building. As a result, Maldonado asserted the City of Sibley knew, or should have known, that a serious injury would result.
The City had asked for a summary judgement in the case, which was granted earlier this week by a federal judge, who ordered the case closed, based upon Iowa’s Public Duty Doctrine which bars an individual from suing a city, county, or state for breach of duty or obligation owed to the public at large.
