Three defendants settle in Walgreens' parking lot fall case

Three defendants in a suit over a South Roxana man's fall in the parking lot of a Wood River Walgreens have settled.

That leaves one defendant standing -- an asphalt sealing company -- as the Oct. 13 trial date draws near.

Plaintiff Rocky Runion filed a motion Sept. 30 to dismiss Walgreens Company, Robert Honke and the Dennis Honke Trust from his 2007 negligence suit.

That leaves Cope and Sons Sealing of Alton as the lone defendant.

Details of the settlement were not provided in the filing.

Runion originally sued Walgreens and the owner of its Wood River store, Robert Honke, after he allegedly slipped on asphalt sealant in the store's parking lot in October 2005.

Runion claims the store negligently failed to warn him of the hazardous area and failed to rope it off.

Cope and Sons, the company that did the sealing work in the parking lot, was later added to the suit.

Runion's suit seeks damages of more than $50,000 but less than $75,000 and costs.

Madison County Circuit Judge Andy Matoesian is presiding.

The case was originally assigned to Madison County Circuit Judge Daniel Stack.

Runion is represented by Robert Jones of St. Louis.

Walgreens, Robert Honke and the Honke trust were represented by Kenneth Halvacks.

Cope and Sons is represented by Russell Meyer, according to the case file.

The case is Madison case number 07-L-715.