BELLEVILLE - A man claims he suffered severe injuries after falling into a large, unseen hole on a Belleville property.
Ryan Murphy is suing the owner of the leased property, claiming it and its principals had a duty of care to keep the premises in a safe condition.
The suit was filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Herbst Properties and its principals, Sean and Heidi Turner. The defendants did not immediately respond to a request for a comment from the Record.
It is alleged in the complaint that Murphy was legally on the property at Biggs Street in Belleville in August 2017.
During his visit, the plaintiff claims he fell into what the complaint describes as an unseen hole while being careful about his safety
"As a result of the fall, plaintiff suffered severe injuries, including, but not limited to, an injury to his left arm, left leg, and lower back," according to the complaint.
The property owner is accused of failing to keep the premises in a "reasonably safe condition," failing to inspect the property, and failing to provide warnings of an "unsafe and dangerous condition."
The plaintiff alleges the owners were "otherwise careless and negligent in the operation, maintenance, control and upkeep of its premises."
Murphy claims he suffered "severe, permanent and progressive injuries to his body," including to his left arm, leg, and lower back.
He also claims he has, and will continue to need medical care, for which he is paying and has lost earnings from his job, according to the complaint.
The plaintiff is seeking in excess of $50,000 on each count against the property company and the two principals.
Murphy is represented by W. Alex Lamb of the Lieser Law Firm.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 19-L-553