WHEELING – A Pennsylvania man is accusing a Triadelphia hotel operator of negligence that led to him fracturing his leg in an icy parking lot.
Herbert F. and Denise Greusel filed their complaint January 8 in Ohio Circuit Court against Gokul Inc. of WV doing business as Comfort Inn and Suites-Wheeling. The plaintiffs live in Mohrsville, Pa.
“The injuries our client endured, including a broken femur, resulted from this property owner/hotel operator’s disregard for the safety of its guests,” attorney P. Zachary Stewart told The West Virginia Record. “Despite obligations to promptly clear snow and ice, and to do so properly, the defendant failed to uphold their duty, leading to our client's painful ordeal.
Stewart
| Courtesy photo
“We are determined to seek justice and hold the property owner accountable for losses suffered and the profound impact this negligence has had on our client's life.”
According to the complaint, Herbert Greusel arrived at the hotel on the afternoon of January 19, 2022. Winter Storm Izzy had passed through the Wheeling area a few days before that and had left about six inches of snow in the area. But no new snow had fallen for at least 48 hours before his arrival at the hotel in his work tractor trailer, the complaint states.
Greusel says the parking lot was in a snowy and/or icy condition with the snow having been plowed into banks along the perimeter of the lot, including parts abutting the sidewalk around the hotel. He parked in a spot designated for tractor trailers and carefully walked to the main entrance to check in.
At about 5 p.m., Greusel says he left his room to go retrieve her personal items from the truck. He exited the hotel using another door that was closer to his truck. He says the sidewalk was clear and dry, but a snowbank remained between the sidewalk and the icy parking lot.
He says he walked in an area with clear signs of footprints indicating others had walked before him through the snow using previously stepped-in footprints. But when he did, he says his foot encountered an obstruction that was covered by the snow, causing him to fall.
“In the process of losing his balance and falling, the male plaintiff’s left leg twisted with such great force causing a fracture of his left femur,” the complaint states.
Greusel says he began shouting for help. A hotel employee heard him and called for emergency assistance. Greusel says he remained on the pile of snow and ice for about 40 minutes before EMS were able to move him. He was taken to Wheeling Hospital, and he required surgery to repair his femur. He says he required several months of rehabilitation and was unable to work for several months.
The plaintiffs accuse the defendant of negligence premises liability, negligent training and negligent supervision. They seek general and special compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, court costs and other relief, and Denise Greusel seeks damages for loss of consortium.
The couple is being represented by Stewart and Dana A. Jackson of Carey & Stewart in Weirton.
Ohio Circuit Court case number 24-C-5