Family Files Lawsuit After Grandmother Dies in Open Manhole Incident

A family is grieving the loss of their grandmother, who tragically passed away after falling into a steaming open manhole two months ago. They’ve initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Con Edison, claiming the utility company neglected to secure the access point, which resulted in serious injuries to her longtime boyfriend, leaving him bedridden.

On Thursday, the family and partner of Donike Gokai announced their lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, asserting that Con Edison’s negligence led to the Westchester resident’s fatal accident on May 18.

Donike, 56, reportedly fell into a manhole near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue shortly after exiting her car to meet her boyfriend, Jashar “Jack” Kameraj, between shifts. The family attorney, Howard Hershanhorn, detailed the chaos of that night.

Amidst panic, her mother’s cries of “I’m going to die, I’m going to die” rang out as Kameraj attempted to rescue her from the manhole, even as onlookers rushed around in desperation, searching for ladders to pull her to safety.

Despite the frantic efforts, Gokai remained trapped, ultimately dying from severe burns, inhalation injuries, and blunt force trauma.

The lawsuit, filed by the law firm Gale, Gale, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Herschenhorn, Steigman, and McCauf, also states that Kameraj sustained significant inhalation burns while trying to save her, and now suffers from lasting injuries.

“It was just a frantic scene where everyone was trying to save her… They could hear her through the hole, but they couldn’t help her,” Herschenhorn recounted.

Jack and Donike were incredibly close, sharing a bond that had grown over years of being together.

The lawsuit contends that Con Edison endangered Kameraj and many others by not implementing adequate safety measures to secure the manhole cover, which the filing maintains could easily be dislodged by heavy vehicles.

A representative from Con Edison previously indicated to the media that a truck likely dislodged the cover shortly before Gokai’s fall.

“Assuming it’s true what they say… it’s clear that Con Ed was negligent in not properly replacing the cover,” noted Herschenhorn.

Lawyers for the family highlighted that over 3,200 complaints about manhole hazards were lodged with the city in just January and February. Diana Carnemoral, attorney for the family, commented that this represents a systemic failure on Con Edison’s part, pointing out that they have known about the risks for decades but failed to take action.

The family believes the utility company should enhance their safety protocols, possibly by installing robust locking mechanisms for manhole covers and monitoring systems that can detect any displacements.

In their lawsuit, the family is seeking damages for the physical, emotional, and financial suffering caused by Gokai’s death, along with punitive damages against Con Edison.

In response, a spokesperson from Con Edison expressed condolences, stating they couldn’t comment on specific allegations due to the ongoing litigation, but assured that they would review the complaints through the appropriate legal channels.

Gokai’s lawyer emphasized the sacrifices made by her mother and grandmother for the family, noting their devotion to hard work despite difficult circumstances to provide a better life for them.

“There’s no amount of money that can replace this woman or her family’s suffering,” he said, asserting that ensuring this type of tragedy never happens again is paramount.