BELLEVILLE – The mother of a student is suing the East St. Louis school system, alleging negligence over injuries she says her daughter received in the East St. Louis High School gymnasium.
Lashanda Farmer, individually and as mother/next friend of Mikalah Farmer, filed the lawsuit Jan. 29 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against the East St. Louis School Board of Education and East St. Louis School District 189.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 3, 2015, Mikalah Farmer, a minor, was walking inside the gymnasium at East St. Louis Senior High School when she slipped and fell. The lawsuit alleges the floor of the gym was covered with water, creating a slipping hazard for anyone who walked on it.
The lawsuit states the plaintiff stepped on the wet area, slipped and fell, causing severe injury.
The complaint states the defendants were negligent and careless by allowing a dangerous condition to exist, failing to maintain the floor, failing to fix the dangerous condition of the floor, failing to place a barricade around the dangerous area and failing to give the plaintiff adequate warning of the dangerous condition of the floor.
Because of her fall, the plaintiff alleges Mikalah Farmer was injured both internally and externally, suffered pain and anguish, and that Lashanda Farmer has spent and will spend money for medical fees, has lost and will lose wages from her employment, and has been damaged in her future earning capacity.
Lashanda Farmer seeks at least $50,000, plus court costs and other relief the court deems just and proper. She is represented by attorney Micah S. Summers of Walton Telken Foster LLC in Edwardsville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-53