Radio personality sues over fall at Milton Pumpkin Festival

HUNTINGTON -- A longtime Charleston radio personality and his wife are suing the city of Milton, an unidentified man and the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival after a fall that caused injuries.

John and Janet Dickensheets were invited to attend the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival Oct. 5, 2007 and were given complimentary tickets, according to a complaint filed in Cabell Circuit Court Oct. 2.

John Dickensheets, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and has difficulty walking, claims he and his wife were told to drive to an area near the front of Pumpkin Park, where someone would assist him.

According to the suit, when the Dickensheets' attempted to drive to the instructed spot, the unidentified man, called John Doe, allegedly refused to let them park near the entrance, waved them off and directed them to park in a rough, unmaintained area a considerable distance away from the area they had originally been told to park.

John Dickensheets claims a handicapped sticker was clearly displayed in their vehicle and that Doe ignored his explanation that they had been specifically directed to park in the front area.

The area the Dickensheets' were directed to park in was poorly lit and there was very little room for them to walk once they parked their car, according to the suit.

After exiting the vehicle, John Dickensheets claims he attempted to navigate through the narrow area between vehicles when he slipped on a piece of garbage and fell and broke both of his shoulders.

Mr. Dickensheets worked as a radio broadcaster prior to the fall and his injuries restricted his ability to generate income from both broadcasting activities and advertising sales, according to the suit.

The Dickensheets' are suing for actual and punitive damages. Harry F. Bell Jr. and Jonathan W. Price are representing them.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge David M. Pancake.

Cabell Circuit court case number: 09-C-798