Johnstown family sues companies over prosthetic arm fire that killed 2

A Cambria County family is suing multiple companies after their 14-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son died in a fire they contend was started by the batteries in a prosthetic arm.

The family is suing several companies, including Union Orthotics & Prosthetics Co. LLC, located on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, and De La Torre Orthotics and Prosthetics, located on Alpha Drive in RIDC Industrial Park in O’Hara, for product liability, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death, according to the complaint.

James Tyler Skovensky plugged his prosthetic arm into a power cord in the home office of his house on Fayette Street in Johnstown, charging the batteries in the arm for the night on July 25, 2023, according to court documents.

Skovensky then went to join his fiancé, Katherine Jeanjaquet-Kohan, upstairs on the second floor. Three of the children in the home were sleeping upstairs, including their 5-year-old son; Hailey Kohan, 19; and Vindemiatrix “Vindy” Kohan, 14.

Grant Jeanjaquet, 22, was asleep on the couch in the living room, which was located next to the home office.

Sometime before 2:30 am, the prosthetic arm and its component parts caught on fire and began filling the home with flames, smoke and soot, the complaint said.

The family became trapped in their home.

Jeanjaquet-Kohan and Vindy Kohan were stuck on the second floor, while Grant Jeanjaquet was stuck downstairs, pinned at the torso between the couch and an outer wall of the house.

Jeanjaquet-Kohan, Skovensky, Hailey Kohan, the 5-year-old and the family dog were rescued.

Grant Jeanjaquet died while trapped, and his body was recovered by firefighters who said he had severe heat related trauma to both legs and feet.

Vindy Kohan was found unresponsive on the second floor and was pulled through the window on the front porch and transported to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. She died three days later, according to the complaint.

“The impact on the family has been absolutely devastating,” said David Kwass, the family’s attorney. “The rest of the family [is] permanently traumatized.”

Skovensky received the prosthetic arm, also known as a “Boston Digital Arm,” following a workplace accident in which he lost his entire right arm in October 2018.

Other defendants in the case, in addition to Union Orthotics & Prosthetics and De La Torre Orthotics and Prosthetics, include Liberating Technologies, Inc., College Park Industries, Coapt, LLC, Oticon, Inc., Ossur Americas, Inc., Thunder Power RC, and Advance Energy, Inc.

The lawsuit alleges that they were responsible for manufacturing the components and parts of the arm.

These companies were consulted regarding the myoelectric arm and its component parts during fitting, servicing, maintaining and repairs, the lawsuit said.

Union Orthotics & Prosthetics did not respond to a request for comment.

De La Torre Orthotics and Prosthetics did not respond to a request for comment.

The other companies could not be reached or declined to comment while litigation is ongoing.