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Hilary Kulunis filed a negligence lawsuit saying her father Randall Kulunis suffered a “medical emergency” at his second-floor apartment at 533 Cambridge Street in Boston on May 27, 2020.
While first responders were bringing Kulunis down the elevator to the hospital, the elevator got stuck for approximately 30 minutes, the lawsuit said. Boston Fire eventually had to pry the doors open to remove those trapped inside. Kulunis was eventually taken to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, which was less than a mile away, but died the next day.
A "Worcester celebrity" who came from a musical family, Kulunis had a "colorful career" in New York City with his "powerful tenor voice," his obituary reads. After being honorably discharged from the US Marine Corps in September 1972, Kulunis studied at New England Conservatory and finished his degree at Boston Conservatory.
He, along with his brother Robert, helped Boston usher into a new era of opera when the duo incorporated Boston Opera Company with Boston Opera House in November 1988.
"Randall loved to perform and demonstrate his excellent Bel-Canto training and glorious high C's," his obituary continued. "Thus, after this bitter opera court battle, Randall retreated from being a performing artist but still continued to perform on almost yearly trips to Lithuania."
The lawsuit says the building's owner, property manager and Stanley Elevator Company “failed to maintain” that the elevator was safe and working properly. WHDH even reported that the faulty elevator was putting people's lives at risk.
"I think the elevator was dysfunctional, had never been repaired properly,” Robert Kulunis told the outlet. "Was it just mechanical failure, which could happen — or was it negligence on the part of the inspector or repair person?"
The lawsuit seeks $3 million in damages, plus costs and attorneys' fees, Universal Hub reports.
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