Cleveland Woman Files Lawsuit Against Apartment Owner After Car Crash
A Cleveland family is suing the owner of their apartment building after a car crashed into their home, injuring them. Stephanice Washington, the mother of two, hopes the lawsuit will prompt safety changes to prevent future accidents.
On October 25, 2022, Washington and her two sons were sitting in their first-floor apartment in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood when a black Chevy Malibu slammed into their home. The force of the crash sent Washington flying into a closet and trapped her two sons beneath the car and debris. Washington recalls, “The car came, like it’s coming straight at me,” and the impact sent her spinning into the closet.
The driver, 25-year-old Nia Nicole Moxley, had no driver’s license but was not seriously injured. However, the crash severely impacted Washington and her sons. Washington’s sons suffered broken bones, severe bruising, and lacerations, with one son going into convulsions after being trapped beneath the rubble. Firefighters were the first to respond to the scene, and Washington says she kept pleading with them, “Take my kids, I don’t care about me, just get my kids out.”
Now, more than a year later, Washington’s sons continue to deal with nerve pain, while she is confined to a mobility scooter due to her injuries. “I’m going to live with this pain for the rest of my life,” she said. The trauma has left her family physically and psychologically affected, as she describes no longer feeling safe in her own home.
Washington and her attorney, Eric Henry, have filed a lawsuit against Wolfe Pintus Brooklyn LLC, the building’s owner. They are seeking compensation for the family’s injuries and pushing for the installation of safety bollards to protect first-floor residents. Many of the apartments are partially underground, making them particularly vulnerable to such crashes.
Henry emphasized the importance of making the necessary safety upgrades to avoid future accidents: “Unless change happens, unless certain safety features are put in, this could very well happen again.” Court records show that Wolfe Pintus denies responsibility in the case, and there is no indication that they have installed any safety barriers since the incident.
Washington believes that if barriers had been in place two years ago, her family would not be enduring the pain they are now. “To me, it is inherently dangerous and something that should’ve been corrected a long time ago,” Henry added.
Moxley, the driver, was sentenced to two months of community service. The family is in ongoing negotiations with Wolfe Pintus, but if a settlement isn’t reached, the case is set to go to trial in June 2025.
