State Farm Insurance, representative, Belleville homeowners sued after roofing contractor falls from ladder

A St. Clair County roofing contractor is suing over claims he was injured when a ladder he was climbing allegedly fell.

Kenneth D. Mantooth filed a lawsuit Oct. 16 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Jeff Thompson, Robert and Vicki Hall and State Farm Insurance Company, citing negligence.

According to the complaint, Mantooth, an independent roofing contractor, and Thompson, a State Farm field claims representative, were inspecting the roof of the Halls' residence on Eidmann Road in Belleville to assess storm damage and provide an estimate for the cost of repair on Oct. 18, 2012. Mantooth says Thompson retrieved a ladder from his State Farm vehicle and invited Mantooth to climb to the roof, but as Mantooth reached roof level, the ladder slipped straight down the wall, causing Mantooth to fall and sustain injuries to his back, head, neck, ribs and hand.

Thompson is accused of negligence in improperly placing the ladder and failing to anchor it, and State Farm is accused of negligently training its employee. The Halls are accused of failing to warn the plaintiff, a visitor to their property, about the danger of placing the ladder on a slick surface that was not readily apparent.

Mantooth seeks more than $50,000 in damages plus costs. He is represented by attorney Robert G. Jones of The Jones Law Firm in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 14-L-694.