Falling concrete incident at J. Bucks leads mother to sue

A woman claims her minor son was seriously injured after a slab of concrete fell from the roof of a restaurant and struck him on the top of the head.

Deborah Conklin, mother of Christopher Conklin, filed suit against WAG Restaurants, CBL & Associates Management, EMJ Construction Toenjes Brick Contracting on March 20 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

She claims that Christopher Conklin was standing outside the Fairview Heights J. Bucks restaurant when the concrete struck him on the head.

According to the complaint, the incident caused Christopher Conklin to incur sprained, torn, cut or bruised muscles, ligaments, membranes, nerves, blood vessels and tissues and to become sick, sore, lame and disordered.

Christopher Conklin also suffered great pain and anguish, experienced a puncture wound on top of his head that caused bleeding, swelling and headaches, suffered internal derangement and was forced to take medications, Deborah Conklin claims.

In addition, Deborah Conklin incurred substantial medical costs for her son's treatment, according to the complaint.

The four companies named as defendants in the complaint negligently allowed the concrete slab to become broken, failed to repair the concrete on the roof when it knew it presented a hazard, failed to warn patrons of the danger of the broken concrete and failed to erect barricades around the restaurant, the suit states.

In the four-count suit, Deborah Conklin is seeking a judgment in excess of $200,000, plus costs.

Richard G. Reed of Reed and Bruhn in Belleville will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-0152.