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CEDAR CITY — The family of a man who tumbled down a flight of stairs to his death at a Cedar City diner two years ago is suing the restaurant and building owner in federal court.
After having breakfast with his daughter at Main Street Grill, Joseph J. Vaught was walking down a back hallway to the parking lot when he saw other people approaching the door.
Vaught, "because he was a gentleman and seldom in a hurry," stepped aside to let them pass and leaned against another door to the stairway leading to the boiler room, according to the lawsuit.
"Because the door was not locked, latched or secured in any way, it easily gave way, and swung open, causing Mr. Vaught to lose his balance and tumble down the steep concrete stairs," the suit says.
Vaught was taken to a hospital in Cedar City before he was transferred to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray where died eight days after the November 2014 fall.
The lawsuit alleges Main Street Grill and building owner Jamestown Enterprises were negligent in leaving the boiler room door unlocked.
The diner owners said they were told by Jamestown to always leave a key in the lock to ensure easy access to the boiler room, which services the entire building, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks at least $1 million in damages for Vaught's pain and suffering and wrongful death.