BELLEVILLE — A tenant is suing a Belleville property management company after she allegedly "became permanently and severely injured" in a fall down the stairs last spring.
Christopher and Venessa Harrison filed the suit July 23 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Dandell Property Management, seeking more than $100,000.
Dandell Property Management did not respond to a request for comment by the Record.
According to the four-page lawsuit, the plaintiffs were living at a property managed by Dandell Property Management on West A Street in Belleville when Venessa Harrison allegedly "fell down some stairs" late in the night on April 11. Harrison alleges she was injured in the fall, suffering disability as a result of her injuries.
Following the fall, Harrison claims she "was made sick, sore, lame, disordered and disabled and suffered extensive injuries to her body and limbs, both internally and externally," the suit states. "The plaintiff received injuries to her low back; that plaintiff has suffered disability as a result of said injuries; that plaintiff as experienced pain and suffering and will be reasonably certain to experience pain and suffering in the future as a result of such injuries."
"The plaintiff has experienced pain and suffering and will be reasonably certain to experience pain and suffering in the future as a result of the injuries," the lawsuit states.
She also alleges she lost wages and "will suffer an impairment of future earning capacity" in addition to money spent for medical treatment.
Christopher Harrison is suing the defendant for loss of consortium and for "large sums of money" he expects to spend for Venessa Harrison's care and for chores she can no longer perform, among other allegations.
"Plaintiff's wife became permanently and severely injured and will remain so for the duration of her natural life," the lawsuit states. "Plaintiff [Christopher Harrison] has suffered the loss of services of his which, which had been prior to said injuries."
Venessa Harrison claims the defendant had a duty "to use reasonable care in their dealings with residents of said property to avoid infliction and injury upon them" and "failed to maintain the entrance, exit and steps."
The plaintiffs allege the property management company failed to properly repair a landing that lead to the stairs at issue and "failed to warn the plaintiff of the slick and dangerous condition of said landing."
Christopher and Venessa Harrison each are asking for more than $50,000 to be "fairly and reasonably" compensated, in addition to costs of the suit, the lawsuit said.
Dandell Property Management was established in 1981 as "a full service property management company" that offers full time maintenance personnel and manages apartment communities, retail space, office space and single family homes, according to information on the company's website. The company manages properties in Swansea, Fairview Heights, O'Fallon, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Breeze, Millstadt, Dupo "and other surrounding areas," the website states.
The case was filed on behalf of the Harrisons by Collinsville attorney John H. Hustava.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 19-L-526