Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 'Anti-Muslim' rally turns out to be pro-police ... Guest Opinion: Overcoming evil with good ... Guest Opinion: We know what to do to prevent mass shootings ... 'Anti-Muslim' rally turns out to be pro-police ... Guest Opinion: Overcoming evil with good ... Guest Opinion: We know what to do to prevent mass shootings ... LAWSUIT Suit says sleeping Ashland woman killed when Murphy bed collapses Suit seeking $850,000 alleges bed locked shut MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 8, 2015 @ 9:31 am Updated Oct 8, 2015 at 4:48 PM Posted Oct. 8, 2015 @ 9:31 am Updated Oct 8, 2015 at 4:48 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Local report The estate of an Ashland woman who died after the Murphy bed she was sleeping in allegedly collapsed and locked shut has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the bed's manufacturer. According to the lawsuit filed by her daughter, Pamela Carpenter, 76-year-old Penelope Martens was asleep in the fold-up bed in the early morning of April 16 when the frame pulled away from the wall. The lawsuit says a cross-member in the frame struck her in the head and upper torso and the frame and mattress locked in the closed position, trapping Martens and killing her. A Murphy bed typically folds up into a frame positioned in a wall or cabinet to provide additional floor space during non-sleeping hours. According to the lawsuit, which was filed this week in Jackson County Circuit Court, the estate is seeking roughly $850,000 from the bed's manufacturer, Westcott Designs Inc., and Beds for Less Inc., which sold the bed to Martens and installed it. The suit also seeks approximately $15,000 for legal fees and burial costs. According to the suit, Westcott Designs, a California corporation, sold a bed that was "unreasonably dangerous and defective." It alleges the cross-member in the frame was situated to line up with the head and upper torso of someone in the bed and that the frame was designed to lock automatically to the mattress unit. The lawsuit says Beds for Less employees or agents were negligent in failing to secure the frame into wall studs and that they attached the frame only to sheetrock using sheet metal fasteners. According to an obituary published in the Mail Tribune, Martens was born in Detroit, Mich., and was a pianist, harpist and singer as well as a writer, speaker, teacher, spiritual consultant and minister. The obituary said she started a church in Castro Valley, Calif., now known as Unity of Tri-Valley. In Ashland, Martens was involved in the development of Ashland at Home, which provides a support network to help older people live independently in their homes. Martens is survived by Carpenter, who lives in Atascadero, Calif., and her son, David Braley of Fort Collins, Colo. The Associated Press contributed to this story. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 8, 2015 @ 9:31 am Updated Oct 8, 2015 at 4:48 PM » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501