Ankle-Monitor Battery Burn Lawsuit Should Proceed, Judge Says

A Pennsylvania man should be allowed to proceed in federal court with claims that a battery in his BI Inc. ankle monitor burned him, because his alleged damages of a lingering injury and career harm amount to more than $75,000, a federal magistrate judge said.

And Jeffrey John Valenta’s claims are timely because he didn’t discover his injury until a U.S. Marshal removed the monitoring device at his sentencing hearing, Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania said Oct. 8 in her recommendation.

Allegations of malfunctions causing pain and discomfort in ...