Ex-Pa. Firefighter Loses Suit Over Rescue Injuries

Jurors deliberated for less than two hours Tuesday before rejecting the claims of a former Dunmore firefighter seeking compensation for an injury he suffered while rescuing a teenager who fell off a cliff in 2006.

Michael Snyder was seeking more than $1 million in damages for medical expenses and lost wages in a lawsuit he brought against St. Gregory's Academy and the Rev. Thomas Maximilian Longua. Jurors began deliberations Tuesday morning and ultimately ruled for the defense, according to staff in Lackawanna County Judge Carmen Minora's office.

Mr. Snyder's attorney, Howard Levinson, said he and his client were very disappointed in the verdict.

"It's a sad day for Mike and for first-responders everywhere," he said.

Mr. Synder was struck in the head by a rock and fell about 15 feet down an embankment while helping to rescue an injured boy who was hiking with classmates and the Rev. Longua on "Holiday Inn Mountain" in Dunmore. Mr. Levinson said the injury ended Mr. Snyder's career as a firefighter and forced him to undergo several surgeries. The lawyer also said Mr. Snyder continues to have serious back pain.

Mr. Levinson argued that Father Longua failed to properly supervise his students on the hike, adding that if he had, the teen would not have fallen and the rescue would not have been necessary.

All together, the former firefighter has accumulated more than $250,000 in medical bills and has about $390,000 in outstanding liens.

During the trial, defense attorney Gary Stewart told jurors that Mr. Snyder had a history of back pain that predated the incident in 2006.

Neither Father Longua nor Mr. Stewart could be reached for comment Tuesday after the jury's verdict.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service