Schnucks sued over shopper's slip on ice in parking lot

A Belleville woman has filed suit against the grocery store where she claims she slipped on ice in the parking lot.

Sheila A. Dunn claims she parked her vehicle in a handicapped spot in the parking lot at defendant Schnuck Markets located at 5750 North Belt West in Belleville on Dec. 17, 2008, when the incident occurred.

"When Plaintiff exited the vehicle and walked toward the store, she slipped on an unnatural accumulation of ice in the parking lot," the suit filed May 7 in St. Clair County Circuit Court states.

Because of her fall, Dunn suffered lower back injuries; experienced great pain, suffering and disability; lost her normal life; incurred medical costs; and lost earnings, according to the complaint.

Defendants the Desco Group, which owned the subject parking lot, Schnuck Markets and Hank's Excavating and Landscaping, which was responsible for snow removal, negligently caused unnatural piles of snow to accumulate, allowed the unnatural piles of snow and ice to melt and then refreeze, removed the snow and ice from the surface in an uneven manner, failed to warn customers of the presence of black ice and failed to put down salt or sand to assist customers in traversing the parking lot, the complaint says.

In her three-count complaint, Dunn is seeking a judgment of more than $150,000, plus costs and other relief the court deems just.

Dawn Kamadulski and Peter S. Blasi of Roth Evans in Granite City will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-232.