2 lawsuits filed against Mahoning Co. commissioners

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County commissioners are named in negligence and breach-of-lease lawsuits filed this week in common pleas court.

A Lancaster Road woman sued the commissioners and a county snow plow driver, alleging the plow driver negligently caused injuries to her head, neck, back and other parts of her body in a Feb. 22, 2011, accident at Bears Den and Industrial roads, outside the county engineer’s office.

Tammy L. Wortman sued the county driver, Donald D. Nameth, and the commissioners. She is demanding a jury trial and damages of more than $25,000.

According to the lawsuit, Nameth, who was southbound on Industrial Road, failed to yield the right of way while turning left onto Bears Den Road, causing a collision with the eastbound vehicle Wortman was driving on Bears Den.

The case is assigned to Judge John M. Durkin. County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed by Atty. J. Gerald Ingram.

On Friday, the former landlord for Mahoning County Area Court, which had been located in the Boardman Plaza, filed a $253,500 breach-of-lease lawsuit against the commissioners.

The lawsuit, filed by WP Boardman Associates of Bryn Mawr, Pa., alleges the county was obligated to make double rent payments during the 39 months it occupied the premises on a month-to-month basis after the 2009 lease expiration, but only paid at the regular rate of $6,500 a month.

The Boardman Court moved to 8110 Market St. in April 2012. Gains again declined to comment on the suit, which is also assigned to Judge Durkin.