Lawsuit: Arizona's Dept. of Economic Security Is Literally a Toxic Place to Work
Working at the Arizona Department of Economic Security nearly killed employee Coleen McGrain, a new lawsuit alleges.
Now, the Tucson woman is suing the agency and the state for damages, alleging that mold and gas problems in the DES building where she worked, plus a lack of lifesaving equipment on the premises, did lifelong, irreparable damage to her health.
Last June, McGrain collapsed and went into cardiac arrest at the DES satellite office where she worked at the time. There was no automated external defibrillator device, or AED, on the premises to jump-start her heart. Nor was anyone there trained in CPR, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court.
EMTs saved McGrain's life, but despite physical therapy and five months on medical leave, she eventually learned that she would never be able to work again, the lawsuit says. It did not go into more detail about her injuries or share the specific office where McGrain worked.
Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/lawsuit-dept-of-economic-security-is-literally-a-toxic-workplace-11265133