Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder granted voluntarily dismissal of claims against an electric company in a woman’s suit alleging a power pole collapsed on her vehicle while she was operating it in Vandalia.
Plaintiff Vicky Morris filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss count II of the complaint without prejudice and leave to reinstate on Sept. 15.
Count II was directed against defendant J.F. Electric Incorporated.
Crowder granted dismissal that same day.
Morris filed the complaint against Ameren IP and J.F. Electric in May.
In her complaint, she claims she was operating her Ford pickup truck on Veterans Avenue in Vandalia on June 7, 2015, when a power pole collapsed and struck her vehicle. As a result, she claims she sustained severe and permanent injuries to her muscles, tendons, ligaments, soft tissues and bones.
Morris alleges the defendants failed to maintain their utility poles in a safe and upright position, failed to inspect and replace utility poles and failed to conduct periodic inspections.
J.F. Electric responded to the complaint on July 7 through attorney Mark Osland of the Law Office of Stephen Larson in St. Louis. The defendant argued in a motion to dismiss that Morris failed to allege facts showing that it owned or installed the utility pole in question.
Morris seeks a judgment of more than $50,000, plus costs of the suit and any other relief the court deems just.
Matthew Champlin of HeplerBroom in Edwardsville represents Ameren IP.
John Kujawski and Robert Marcus represents Morris.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 16-L-744