Property Owner Sued After Shorewood Resident Slips On The Ice

SHOREWOOD, IL — This is the time of year when lawyers across in Illinois are known for filing slip and fall lawsuits against businesses, and one recent lawsuit was filed against Charles Sharp, owner of the commercial property at 400 Earl Road in Shorewood, the property that includes the Rudy's Gym.

Michael Schneider of Shorewood is the lawsuit plaintiff, and he is represented by attorney Kevin Apter of the Chicago law firm Lipkin & Apter. On Feb. 2, 2022, Sharp and Prime Industries were a limited partnership that owned and managed 400 Earl Road, according to court records.

The lawsuit contends that Schneider was a lawful and permissive user of Sharp's property, and he was a pedestrian walking upon the property at 400 Earl Road and "Schneider exercised reasonable care and caution for his own safety while upon defendant's property."

According to his lawsuit, Schneider "was caused to fall and suffer severe injuries due to the presence of a dangerous and unnatural condition and unnatural accumulation of ice and snow."

The lawsuit accuses Sharp and Prime of negligence in that they: allowed a pothole to form in the pavement and permitted the pothole to remain without adequate repairs and thereby allowed liquid to accumulate and freeze inside and upon the pavement and pothole, creating a dangerous condition that posed an unreasonable risk of harm upon the premises for Schneider.

Because of his fall, Schneider endured medical bills, pain and suffering and "loss of a normal life and lost wages," according to Lipkin & Apter. Their lawsuit seeks a Will County jury award in excess of $50,000, plus the costs for filing the lawsuit.