BELLEVILLE - An alleged trip and fall at an Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville has prompted a lawsuit as the plaintiff alleges the online retail giant and the owners of the facility are liable for his injuries.
Jimmy Horneman filed suit Sept. 26 in St. Clair County Circuit against Amazon, which rents the property at Lakeview Corporate Drive in Edwardsville, and the owners, CP Logistics and Lex Edwardsville, alleging negligence.
The core of Horneman's argument is that on Sept. 30, 2017, during a work visit to the Edwardsville facility, he tripped over a parking block because it was the same color as the rest of the lot and there were no warning signs.
"Since this case is in active litigation, we are unable to comment," Owen Torres, Amazon's public relations manager, told the Record.
Horneman states he was at the worksite and fell over an elevated parking block as he was leaving a guard shack to return to his truck.
The suit alleges the defendants failed to keep the premises in a "safe and usable" condition for those visiting the property. This included "negligently and carelessly" failing to provide a "safe ingress and egress" from the guard shack to the parking lot.
There were no warning signs to reveal that the block was elevated from the ground despite it being "deceptively" the same color as the rest of the parking lot, the suit states.
Horneman says he suffered injuries to his right thumb, wrist, arm and internal organs.
The plaintiff said he has spent "substantial sums of money" in doctor and hospital costs, the majority of which were incurred in St. Clair County, where Horneman is a resident. He alleges permanent injuries.
Horneman, who is represented by attorney Steven E. Katzman of Katzman & Sugden LLC in Belleville, seeks in excess of $50,000, plus assorted relief.
St. Clair County Circuit Court Case number 2019-L-686.