Melted ice causes woman's injuries, suit claims

A St. Clair County woman is suing an East St. Louis store and a Swansea ice company for injuries she incurred after she slipped and fell on melted ice.

Patricia Pope filed a lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court on May 1 against Schnuck Markets and Metro Ice, Inc., doing business as Glacier Ice and Mr. J's Ice Company.

According to the complaint, Pope was at Schnucks Market on June 6, 2007, and was walking through an aisle in the store when she slipped and fell on some water.

Ice had melted on the floor after a Metro Ice employee placed bags of ice in the freezer and dropped some on the floor, the complaint says.

After the Metro Ice employee left, Schnucks and Metro Ice employees failed to mop up the wet floor, failed to put up warning signs of the wet floor, failed to warn Pope of the presence of water on the floor and failed to adequately inspect the floor, the suit states.

Because of Pope's fall, her neck, back, spine, arms, elbows, right shoulder, torso, knees, legs, right ankle and right foot were injured, she says. In addition, she suffered a strain to her right interior cruciate ligament and right posterior cruciate ligament, the complaint says.

The use and function of Pope's injured body parts are substantially impaired, she incurred medical costs and her ability to enjoy her normal pursuits in life has been severely impaired, according to the complaint.

Pope is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, plus costs.

Leonard I. Neuman of The Neuman Law Firm in St. Louis will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-223.