A judge has ordered MGM to respond months after the family of a girl severely shocked at National Harbor filed a lawsuit.
Zynae Green, 7, was at an outdoor fountain on the west side of the Maryland resort when she was shocked and went into cardiac arrest in June.
On Thursday, the Green family's lawyer, Benedict Morelli, said the little girl still cannot speak or walk and she's receiving 24-hour care at the family's home. The lawsuit filed in November says she is "permanently and totally disabled" and she will require care for the rest of her life.
Morelli said a trial date was set for Feb. 10, 2020.
"We hope that the case gets resolved before that, but if it doesn't, I can assure you that I'm going to be here with my team to get justice for the Green family," he said.
"They've destroyed a family and destroyed a little girl's life who's now 7 years old and her life is altered forever."
MGM still hasn't responded to the lawsuit, arguing that it doesn't have enough information.
"For them to make this motion and say, 'We can't answer your complaint. We need a more definite statement' when you have a video of the happening of the accident, seemed a little disengenuous to me and I'm being kind," Morelli said.
MGM must respond to the suit within 10 days, a judge ruled Thursday.
An MGM spokesperson issued the following statement to News4:
“We are heartbroken over the suffering of the Green family due to the tragic accident that occurred last year. We are continuing to seek a resolution with representatives of the family in the hopes that this can reach a timely conclusion.”
Zynae Green spent two months in a hospital after the electrocution with severe injuries before she was moved to a acute care facility temporarily.
Once healthy and vibrant, Zynae can't speak or move.
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“She needs 24/7 care of nurses she also needs doctors she also needs equipment ‘cause she has a trach tube and she has a feeding tube, and this is forever,” Morelli said in January.
County inspectors say 120 volts of electricity circulated through Zynae's body as she held one charged railing and placed her feet on another. Inspectors say the railings were improperly installed, violating a number of building codes.
The family's lawsuit alleges the electrical contractors and inspectors were urged to finish their work quickly at the expense of safety. According to the lawsuit, the 120 volts was 10 times more than necessary to power the handrail lighting.
MGM National Harbor spokespersons said in January that crews were refitting the railings that shocked Zynae and removing the electric component.
