Lawsuit in MGM electric shock moving ahead

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Attorneys for MGM National Harbor and the family of a seven-year-old girl who received an electric shock at the resort set a court date Thursday for a possible civil trial regarding the family's negligence claims.

MGM and its contractors Whiting-Turner and Rosendin Electric made a motion to force lawyers for seven-year-old Zynae Green to make their lawsuit more specific, but the judge settled the motion and allowed both sides to set a February 10, 2020 trial date.

It's possible the sides will settle before a jury trial.

Green's mother and father were in court Thursday but declined to make any on the record statements to reporters.

Their attorney, Benedict Morelli, explained Green's injury and ongoing 24-hour care have been a financial and emotional burden on the family.

"It's very difficult. They're very young parents. They're only in their 30s and they're facing a situation which most parents thankfully will never have to face. So they're struggling to keep normalcy in their life and to keep their family together," Morelli said.

Morelli said he has just obtained video this week, which he declined to share, which shows other people receiving more minor electric shocks from a handrail in the days leading up to Green's debilitating shock. Morelli says this shows MGM either knew or should have known about the safety risk and did not fix it.

"Now, I've seen the video and I've confirmed that yes there were at least two or three other people who had electricity going through their body as a result of this. It's a very strange situation," Morelli said.

A spokeswoman for MGM shared the following statement with FOX 5:

"We are heartbroken over the suffering of the Green family due to the tragic accident that occurred last year. We are continuing to seek a resolution with representatives of the family in the hopes that this can reach a timely conclusion."

There is an ongoing criminal probe of the June electric shock and allegations of public corruption on the part of county building regulators. The probe is being led by the FBI and Prince George's County Police.