Walgreens employee allegedly knocks customer to floor with door

A woman says she sustained injuries to her hip and pelvis after she fell to the floor when an employee swung open a door near her.

Bernice Sperino filed a lawsuit Dec. 22 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Walgreen and one of its managers, Nick S. Waller.

"On the third day of January, 2008, the plaintiff, Bernice Sperino, while present in the defendant's Swansea, Illinois, store sustained an injury to her person when she was knocked to the floor when a Walgreens' employee opened the door to the waiting area outside of the ladies restroom thereby striking the plaintiff, Bernice Sperino, and slamming her to the floor resulting in injury to her right hip, right thigh, lower back, sacrum and pelvis," the suit states.

In addition to her injuries, Sperino suffered great pain and suffering, incurred medical costs and has been prevented from enjoying her normal activities, according to the complaint.

Sperino blames Walgreen and Waller for failing to instruct its employees to check for patrons before opening the restroom door, for positioning the door in an awkward place, for failing to direct Sperino to stand in a safe place in the restroom where she would not be injured and for failing to equip the door with a warning device that would alert others of the door's impending opening.

In the two-count suit, Sperino seeks a judgment of more than $100,000, plus other sums to compensate her for her injuries.

Terrence O'Leary of Bosslet and O'Leary in Granite City will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-682.