Woman Falls at Saxe, Sues Town and School Board

New Canaan is facing a lawsuit filed this month that says the town’s neglect led to a fall on snow and ice at Saxe Middle School.

Maureen Giangrande is seeking more than $15,000 in the civil suit, according to a complaint filed Feb. 6 by New Haven-based Balzano & Tropiano.

According to the suit, Giangrande “sustained or exacerbated serious, painful, disabling and chronic injuries, some of which may be permanent” when she fell on a sidewalk at the school around 9 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2011.

The suit says that on that day “and for some time prior to that date, snow and ice frequently melted and refroze on the sidewalks of Saxe Middle School, routinely creating a dangerous and defective condition.”

It isn’t clear where Giangrande is from or why she was at Saxe on that day. Giangrande’s attorneys could not be reached for comment. New Canaan Administrative Officer Tom Stadler declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

The town of New Canaan, Board of Education and Department of Public Works all are named in the suit.

On Feb. 13, the town filed a motion to dismiss the DPW from the complaint “due to the fact that the Department of Public Works is not a legal entity capable of being sued.”

According to the suit, Giangrande suffered several injuries and problems as a result of the fall, including: ankle fracture, ligament tear and scarring from surgery.

“She was forced to endure the discomfort and use of crutches as well as casts and walking boots,” the suit says. “She experienced acute anxiety attacks, accompanied by its usual signs and symptoms, and she endured great pain of mind body and humiliation.”