For Zynae Green, spending her seventh birthday in a hospital bed was the last thing on her mind. Five months before she was an energetic young girl living her life to the fullest, but all this changed after her family visited a resort in Maryland.
At the MGM National Harbor Resort, Zynae touched an illuminated handrail, which electrocuted her and left her severely brain damaged and unable to walk.
Now the family is suing the resort.
According to the suit, Zynae was with her family at the resort on June 26 and at around 9 pm, she touched the railing near a lit water fountain. She was jolted by 120 volts of electricity — 10 times the amount required to light the handrail.
An attendant and Zynae’s mother, Rydricka Rosier, were also jolted as they tried to get the girl off the rail.
Zynae went into cardiac arrest but the hotel did not have a defibrillator. She was then rushed to nearby hospital before being transferred to Baltimore, about two hours from the family’s residence.
The suit, to be filed today in Prince George’s County, argues that the resort is responsible for the faulty wiring that caused Zynae’s electrocution. It further adds that MGM rushed to open the resort following the legalization of gambling in Maryland.
According to the family’s lawyer, Benedict Morelli, Zynae is in a vegetative state after she suffered the anoxic brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen.
“From what we know medically, she will never recover,” Morelli told the New York Post.
In a statement, MGM blamed the contractor for the handrail mishap and said they are willing to work with the family to reach a resolution.
“The incident at National Harbor was a tragic accident, and we are all heartbroken that Zynae Green and her family continue to suffer. We are committed to continue working with the family’s representative to reach a resolution.”
As the Prince George County Police Department and the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement investigate the incident, Zynae celebrated her birthday, with her mother asked followers to share the video and pray for her recovery.
