LAWSUIT CLOSES THE DOORS ON BMI
"Tanglewood will lose 1,682 jobs do to the closure and millions in tax revenue."
Story by Kevin Myers

Yesterday, owner and president of BMI Manufacturing, Vellu Delenhoff announced the bankruptcy and closing of BMI after a devastating court battle over product safety. BMI creates many products, but 80% of its revenue comes from the manufacturing of plastic molded portable chemical restrooms, also referred to as port-a-jons.

Attorney Diane Yarman filed the lawsuit on behalf of Tanglewood citizen Shane Hill after being trapped in one of BMI's port-a-jons for two days. According to authorities Mr. Hill, an employee of BMI, was using one of the company's port-a-jons before his morning shift when it became unstable. The toilet fell backwards and slid down an eighteen-foot embankment where it came to rest on the door. Tanglewood Police Officer Jeanette Wheeler stated, "Mr. Hill screamed for help and tried to pry the port-a-jon open, but to no avail. The BMI port-a-jon was just built to good."

Mr. Hill's attorney argued that not only was Mr. Hill trapped inside one of BMI's portable restrooms on BMI property after being placed in an unsafe location, but that the port-a-jons themselves were defective. Multiple scientific engineers, for the prosecution, testified that BMI's port-a-jons did not have the necessary base to stabilize them from capsizing. It was also argued that the jons were built overly dense which maybe it impossible to escape from if the door became lodged in place. Expert Matt Tinker was quoted, "Once the door became stuck, you are trapped in a port-a-jon coffin, if no one finds you."

Yarman was also quick to point out to the jury that there were no warnings anywhere on the toilets to let people know of these safety hazards. "They just let the public use these death traps with no warning at all. BMI had no right to risk peoples lives like that!” says Yarman.

The defense denied any liability for the accident and that their client's product is perfectly safe and this question of warnings is just a pitiful attempt to squeeze more money out of a law abiding Sutro company.

BMI defense council also stated that police originally questioned employees Sung Kim and Joshua Janes for possibly being responsible for the accident. Police found no evidence tying either man to the incident and both had alibis. BMI terminated both men's employment at the start of the trial for their alleged involvement. Janes and Kim have filed their own lawsuit against the company for defamation of character, unlawful termination, and lost wages. Hopes of a big settlement have sadly fallen by the wayside after the declaration of bankruptcy of BMI.

The peculiarity of this lawsuit grew tremendously when the case closed in a record four weeks time and jury deliberation lasted a mere 3 hours, before returning with a guilty verdict and largest settlement in history. Sitting in the courtroom I was shocked to see no emotional response of any kind from BMI President Delenhoff when the jury awarded Mr. Hill 32.8 billion dollars--one of the largest awards in Sutro history. Mr. Delenhoff sat as ridged as a statue during the reading of the verdict, not showing a hint of emotion or distress.

Photo by photogragher Nathan Janes

BMI released this statement; "We regret the closure of BMI and the unnecessary loss of working class jobs to the greed of a few individuals. This was a travesty of the Sutronian Justice System. We feel after such a blatant failure of the legal system that appealing this decision would serve no purpose and that the only true recourse against this extortion is to file bankruptcy."

Mr. Delenhoff wants to make it clear, "For those who have lost their jobs in this travesty of Sutro justice can blame the fleecing on Mr. Hill and his friends."