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Friday, March 29, 2024

Man blames broken handrail for injuries

Slipandfall

RIPLEY – A Jackson County man is suing over claims he fell down the stairwell in his apartment building due to a broken handrail.

Todd and Kristen Hughes filed a lawsuit Nov. 5 in Jackson Circuit Court against Swisher Properties, citing negligence.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs were living in a third-floor apartment owned by the defendant on North Church Street in Ripley on Aug. 19, 2013, when Todd Hughes attempted to use the only staircase but the broken handrail gave way, causing him to fall to the bottom of the stairs. The complaint states residents had been complaining to the defendant about the broken handrail on the sole staircase of the building for up to a year prior to the incident.

The defendant is accused of negligence for failing to maintain the building, and Kristen Hughes is suing for loss of consortium.

Todd and Kristen Hughes seek compensatory damages, interest and attorney fees.

They are represented by attorneys Shawn C. Gillispie and Jessica Y. Whitmore of Kesner & Kesner in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge T.C. Evans III.

Jackson Circuit Court case number: 14-C-118.

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