Woman opens door for man at Pizza Hut, then sues both

A woman who was injured while holding open the door for customers at the Edwardsville Pizza Hut filed a personal injury suit against the restaurant and the man to whom she extended the courtesy.

Amanda Verett claims she was walking out the door of Pizza Hut on Feb. 12, when she held open the door to allow herself and co-defendant Clarence Jackson to exit.

"Jackson grabbed the door in such a fashion that it caused the door to suddenly and sharply move," the complaint written by Edwardsville attorney Tom Maag states.

Verett claims she was injured as a result of the sudden and sharp movement of the door.

She claims Jackson violated his duty to use ordinary care for the safety of others when he operated the Pizza Hut door which caused her to sustain an acromion process impingement in her right shoulder.

Verett claims due to the injury she suffered at Pizza Hut, she was unable to avoid falling on a later date and tore tendons and suffered injuries to her left hand and wrist, including a partial tear of the pronator quadratus muscle at the dorsum.

She claims her injuries caused her to suffer a disfigurement, severe pain and discomfort and medical expenses.

Verett claims Pizza Hut was negligent by maintaining a door for ingress and egress which was not reasonably safe and was likely to injure people when being held open and grabbed by another.

Verett is seeking damages in excess of $150,000, plus costs.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Nick Byron.

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