***This story was updated on Nov. 1 with comments from Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer.
An attorney for School Committee Vice Chair Jenn Schaeffner has sent a letter to the town alleging that Schaeffner “suffered major injuries due to your negligent acts” while outside the Mary Alley Building on Widger Road.
Schaeffner “twisted her foot on the edge of the asphalt” as she was walking into a Board of Health meeting on Oct. 10, according to the letter.
The six-page certified letter from the national personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan instructs the town to “secure the evidence involved in this incident and make it available for our expert to inspect.”
Contacted by the Current, Schaeffner declined to comment on the letter.
In addition to hurting her foot, the letter says that Schaeffner sustained other “serious and diverse personal injuries, some, or all of which may be permanent in nature.”
After arriving at the Board of Health meeting, Schaeffner could be seen removing her sock and shoe. The next day, she walked into a School Committee meeting wearing a walking boot.
The letter requests that the town collect evidence “related to the claim,” including photographs, audio and video recordings, footage from surveillance cameras, cell phone text messages and digital communications.
It also instructs the town to take steps to make sure none of that evidence is deleted or altered.
Finally, the letter adds, “In the meantime, demand is hereby made pursuant to G.L.c. 175, §112C for written disclosure of the limits of your insurance policy, including any umbrella or excess policy or medical payment and PIP (personal injury protection) coverage.”
Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said the letter is being forwarded to the town’s insurance company.
“In fact, they make the decision on whether to settle or not to settle, and in a case like this I think the liability cap is, like, $5,000,” he said.
“There’s no lawsuit right now,” Kezer added. “All we have is a notice to preserve records. We preserve records as a requirement of the law.”
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist who has written hundreds of stories for local newspapers, including the Marblehead Reporter.