PEOPLE
Mom Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Apartment Building After Son, 39, Dies While Allegedly Trapped in Laundry Room
By Toria Sheffield and Brian Brant Published on July 18, 2026 04:30PM EDT
A North Carolina woman is suing her apartment complex, claiming her adult son died after becoming trapped in the building’s laundry room.
Debra Davies filed the suit, which was obtained by PEOPLE, in the Durham County Superior Court, on June 3.
In the suit, Davies alleges that her son, 39-year-old Jason Pulliam, was doing laundry in the laundry room of her senior living complex, Ashton Place Apartments, in Durham while visiting her on Nov. 25, 2024, when he experienced a medical emergency.
The suit further alleges that another resident in the laundry room attempted to seek help, but the door to the room malfunctioned, leaving both Pulliam and the other resident trapped inside.
“[The resident] then attempted to escape through a window, only to discover that it opened approximately four inches,” the complaint states.
The resident did not have her cell phone with her and was unable to dial out for help, the suit alleges.
Several other residents eventually heard the woman yelling for help and called 911. Emergency responders performed CPR, but Pulliam was pronounced dead at the scene.
His official cause of death was cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, per the suit.
The suit claims that Pulliam’s death was preventable and was a result of “gross negligence” on the part of the building owners and management. The suit further alleges that Pulliam’s death “inflicted profound and irreversible harm upon” his mother.
Davies is now seeking the “maximum amount” of punitive damages permitted by North Carolina law.
While speaking to CBS 17, Davies said that she believes the tragedy could have been avoided if the laundry room had had a glass panel so that residents could see inside.
“The first lady who was doing laundry when my son had his medical emergency began banging on the door, trying to get someone’s attention from the outside,” Davies said while speaking to the outlet. “Everyone outside was afraid to go in because they didn’t know what was happening. If there had been a glass panel, they could have seen my son lying on the floor.”
“My son should not have died in that laundry room. There’s no way to justify it,” she added. “He was my baby. He was the youngest in the family.”
Davies has since helped launch a tenant organization called Ashton Seniors in Action, which fights for tenant safety and proper building maintenance, per CBS 17.
Davies’ attorney, Lee Rodio, said in a phone call with PEOPLE, “This litigation is still in its early phases … We anticipate a thorough discovery and litigation process and look forward to vigorously pursuing justice for the harm caused to Mr. Pulliam and his family as a result of his death on the property that belonged to DHIC and the Ashton Place defendants.”
In a statement to ABC 11, Rodio also said, “We feel confident about the theory of liability here. Throughout this process, we will come to the table in good faith and invite the defendants to do the same.”
Jack B. Bayliss Jr., the attorney for the defendants listed in the suit, also provided a statement to the outlet, writing, “I believe a free press is the bulwark of a free country. However, lawsuits need to be handled within the court system. We will be responding to the complaint and defending the lawsuit, which will be a matter of public record.”
PEOPLE reached out to legal representation for the defendants on Friday, July 17, but did not receive an immediate response.
No comments:
Post a Comment