A painter injured while descending a ladder is suing claiming she required surgery on her right hand after falling.
According to a lawsuit filed on May 27 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court, plaintiff Tina M. Thomas was at the home of defendant Michael P. Carrico in Smithton in June 2020 to paint his porch.
Thomas says that she was voluntarily providing the service and was relying on Carrico to prevent an unreasonable risk of harm done while she was painting. On June 6, Thomas cleared away paint cans and buckets in preparation to paint. She alleges that Carrico, or someone acting on his behalf, placed a bucket at the base of her step ladder.
Unaware of the bucket's presence, Thomas was descending the ladder and attempted to suddenly maneuver in order to avoid the bucket. In the process, she says she fell from the porch, causing serious injuries to her hand that required surgical treatment.
The defendant is being sued on one count of premises liability, one count of negligence and two counts of negligence per se. Thomas requests damages in excess of $50,000 for each charge.
Thomas is represented by Goldblatt and Singer of St. Louis.
St. Clair County case number 22-LA-447.