BANGOR (AP) – A Bangor man is suing his co-workers at a painting company following an initiation that ended in an accident and alleged injuries.

Andrew Godin, 53, said he sustained bruises, scrapes and swelling and had to miss work time because of an accident stemming from what his co-workers said was an initiation to become part of their painting crew.

Defendants are Quality Interior-Exterior Painting, Norman Hall Jr. and Noah Hall, all of Hermon. Godin is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in his suit, which was filed last month in Penobscot County Superior Court. No trial date has been set.

Godin’s suit stems from an alleged incident last June 30. Court documents say he was tied to a chair with electrical wire. The chair was then placed on a trailer pulled by an all-terrain vehicle.

When he was first tied to the chair, Godin “tried to resist and pleaded with the defendants to stop, but was told that the more he resisted, the tighter they would tie him up,” Godin’s attorney, Stephen Smith of Bangor, wrote in the complaint.

When Godin continued to resist and told them to stop, the defendants allegedly told Godin it was an “initiation” to become part of the crew.

The ATV and trailer, with the chair on it, overturned in a field and the trailer landed on top of Godin. His suit says Godin sustained large bruises to his chest, swelling of the right arm and neck, abrasions to the right shoulder area and pain throughout his body. In addition, it says, he incurred medical bills and lost income.

The incident allegedly happened after the defendants picked up Godin for work. The men then went to the company’s facility in Hermon because a light rain kept them off the job.

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