Ohio woman sues after fall down steps in Huntington

HUNTINGTON - An Ohio woman has filed a suit against a Cabell County woman after she was injured when she fell down several steps at the woman's apartment building.

Debbie Spurlock filed the suit May 15 in Cabell Circuit Court against Judith Pinson.

According to the suit, Pinson resided in an apartment building on Fourth Avenue and 30th Street in Huntington, a two-unit duplex. Pinson lived in the ground unit.

Prior to May 2006, Pinson reconstructed the stairs to the upstairs apartment. After the construction, the rails stopped at the third to last stair, and there was no railing for the two steps closest to the ground.

Spurlock was visiting Pinson on May 26, 2006, when she was asked to go to the upstairs apartment and tell the tenant she had received a phone call. According to the suit, it was dark outside and Spurlock was unable to see the stairs.

"(Spurlock) then came down the stairs, holding onto the hand rails for each step down that she took," the suit says. "When she reached the second to last step, she ran out of hand rails, which caused her to lose her balance, and she fell forward, injuring her left foot."

According to the suit, she suffered a significant crush injury to her foot. She claims she had to have surgery and spent four months in Pulleys Nursing Home in South Point, Ohio, because she could not walk.

Spurlock claims she could not work and seeks lost wages. She also seeks compensatory damages.

Attorney Timothy P. Rosinsky is representing Spurlock. The case has been assigned to Judge John L. Cummings.

Cabell Circuit Court case number 08-C-432