Newburgh, NY – David Jimenez recently had one of his legs amputated after a large crucifix fell on top of him, according to CBS New York .
The 45-year-old pizza worker frequently stopped to pray at the Church of St. Patrick in hopes that going so would help cure his wife of cancer. He devotion reportedly paid off; his spouse is now cancer free. Unfortunately for Jimenez, the same crucifix he attributes with saving his wife has now claimed one of his legs.
Kevin Kitson, David Jimenez’s attorney, explained that his client was given permission to clean the crucifix, which was in desperate need of some tender, loving care. Holding the 600 pound statue in place was a single screw, one that would ultimately prove worthless in the long run.
“The screw is useless. It supported no anchoring system,” Kitson said. As a result, the crucifix fell down on his client and crushed his leg in the process.
According to the Digital Journal , David Jimenez intends to sue the church for $3 million dollars over his lost limb. He believes it was their negligence in properly supporting the crucifix that led to his injury. Since he’s unable to return work to after having his leg amputated, Jimenez feels the church should cough up some money for his troubles.
Kitson believes the priest who gave his client permission to clean the statue should be held responsible for “telling someone to go forward with an action and causing this accident.”
The Huffington Post reports that the case will head to court sometime in the next few weeks. The church, meanwhile, has generated close to $7,000 in donations for Jimenez and his family. The archdiocese’s insurance company has not offered to settle the case as of this writing.
Do you think the church should pay $3 million to the man who was crushed by a giant crucifix?
