Trial involving Boy Scouts camp injury settled shortly after going to jurors

Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder presided over a trial that settled June 17 shortly after the jury was sent to deliberate.

The trial started June 10 in a camper’s injury claim against the Lewis & Clark Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The jury was sent to deliberate at 12:51 p.m. on June 17. The settlement was reached at 3:30 p.m., according to the case docket sheet.

Plaintiffs John and Brenda Gremli sued in 2011 claiming that while he was camping on July 22, 2010, a dead tree fell on John Gremli while he was sleeping in a tent at Camp Warren Levis in Godfrey.

The Gremlis allege that the Lewis & Clark Council failed to properly inspect and remove dead trees from campsites and failed to maintain the campsites in a safe condition. Boy Scouts of America also is named as a defendant.

The couple claimed that injuries to John Gremli’s right leg were so severe that the leg had to be amputated above the knee. They sought more than $50,000 in damages.

The couple was represented by Robert Gregory of East Alton.

The defendants were represented by Bradley Hansmann and Kyle Christopher Oehmke of Brown & James in St. Louis.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs and defense were contacted regarding the settlement, but calls had not been returned by press time.

The case is Madison case number 11-L-021.