Man files suit over MBTA escalator malfunction

Nine were sent to hospital after 2021 accident

A Los Angeles man who was severely injured in a 2021 escalator malfunction at the MBTA’s Back Bay Station filed a negligence lawsuit against the agency and a contractor on Wednesday, alleging the parties “failed horribly” in maintaining the equipment.

Lawyers for Omar Dreidi, 34, filed the nine-page civil complaint in Suffolk Superior Court. Dreidi is seeking at least $180,000 in monetary damages, court papers show. His suit names the MBTA and Kone Inc., the escalator contractor, as defendants.

An MBTA spokesperson said Thursday that the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation. Kone could not be reached for comment. The escalator malfunction sent dozens of patrons tumbling backward; nine people were taken to area hospitals.

Days after the malfunction, a Louisiana couple filed suit, saying they and their children needed in-patient treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital and faced the prospect of extensive, costly rehabilitation. That lawsuit remains pending.

“Safety is KONE’s top priority and our thoughts go out to those who were injured,” Kone said at the time.

Dreidi sustained multiple injuries during the accident, including “a number of bruises and abrasions during the fall, including, without limitation, to his hip, lower back, and both knees.”

According to Dreidi’s civil complaint, a CT scan showed that he sustained a “high-grade injury to the anterior tibiofibular ligament with fragmentation of the anterior aspect of the distal fibula,” and “continues to experience enduring pain and discomfort in his left ankle and lower back area.”

The lawsuit stated that “both the MBTA and Kone and its parents, subsidiaries, divisions and related entities, had a duty to service, test, and maintain the Escalator at the Back Bay Station in a safe condition and in compliance with all applicable codes and regulations.”

That didn’t happen, according to the complaint.

“The defendants, individually and/or collectively failed horribly with serious consequence for which they are jointly and severally liable,” the filing said.

WCVB-TV previously reported on his lawsuit.

Jason Adkins, a lawyer for Dreidi, said Thursday that his client is a sports agent who has been unable to exercise since the escalator malfunction, which is limiting his ability to interact with athletes.

“It’s a nightmare to even think about,” Adkins said of the malfunction, which he described as “really horrific.”