Trumbull commissioners file new lawsuit against excavating company

WARREN — The Trumbull County commissioners have filed additional legal action against Marucci and Gaffney Excavating of Youngstown regarding a $10.6 million sewer project in Kinsman, this time accusing the company of submitting false videos and data to cover up “sags” in the sewer lines they built.

The suit was filed today in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

The county ultimately hired its own company to produce its own videos and checked data from another source and found dozens of sections of sewer pipe that may need to be replaced, the lawsuits says.

At this point, “it will be difficult, if not next to impossible, to correct the defective installation,” the filing says.

The suit seeks monetary damages that have purportedly resulted from Marucci and Gaffney’s actions, as well as punitive damages.

The commissioners in October terminated contracts with Marucci & Gaffney for the Kinsman project and another sewer project in Vienna Township and filed a $1.3 million breach-of-contract lawsuit in common pleas against the company, alleging the company did substandard work, including sewer lines that are not level, as evidenced by videos from inside the pipes showing water at various depths.

A message was left this morning with Atty. Peter Welin, who represents Marucci and Gaffney.