A man’s lawsuit alleging he was injured when he was hit in the arm with a fire poker while at a party in Collinsville is at trial.
The trial began Nov. 13 in St. Clair County Circuit Judge Vincent Lopinot’s courtroom.
Plaintiff James McDaniel is represented at trial by Timothy Gutknecht of Stumpf and Gutknecht PC in Columbia, Mo.
Defendants Kevin and Lillian McCormick are represented by Josh Breithaupt and Seth Gausnell of Pitzer Snodgrass PC in St. Louis.
McDaniel filed his complaint on Oct. 7, 2011, against the McCormicks and Chad A. Crank.
In his complaint, he claims he and Crank were both guests at Kevin McCormick’s party at a Caseyville Road home in October 2010. Kevin McCormick is a tenant at the Collinsville property owned by Lillian McCormick, the suit states.
McDaniel claims a fight broke out between Crank and another guest during the party. Crank allegedly began swinging a fire poker during the altercation. Crank allegedly swing the poker and hit McDaniel by mistake, breaking bones in his arm.
In his complaint, McDaniel requests more than $200,000 in damages for medical expenses, lost wages and court costs.
Crank had represented himself pro se.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 11-L-569