Hospital sued over visitor's slip on black ice

A woman has filed suit against Gateway Regional Medical Center, claiming she slipped on black ice in the hospital's parking lot.

Frances Weible claims she had taken her mother to Gateway Regional on Dec. 17, 2007.

On her way back to her car, which was parked in a parking lot at 2044 Madison Ave. in Granite City, Weible slipped and fell on black ice, according to the complaint filed Sept. 23 in Madison County Circuit Court.

Because of her fall, Weible experienced pain and suffering, disability, loss of a normal life and disfigurement and incurred medical expenses, the suit states.

Gateway Regional negligently failed to warn Weible of the black ice, failed to exercise due care when having the parking lot cleaned, caused the unnatural condition of black ice to form on the parking lot and failed to maintain its parking lot so water would drain and not freeze, the complaint says.

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

She will be represented by Thomas O. Falb of Williamson, Webster, Falb and Glisson in Alton.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-1007.