Suburban school sued by woman who fell down gym bleachers

A woman is suing over injuries she allegedly sustained after falling down bleachers in the gymnasium of a suburban Cook County school.

Mary Jane McHugh filed a lawsuit Dec. 6 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Willows Academy and Embers Elementary School, citing negligence.

According to the complaint, McHugh was lawfully in the gymnasium of the Willows Academy premises at 1012 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines on May 31, 2012, when she fell while walking down the stairs of the bleachers.

McHugh claims she fell because the handrail she grabbed wobbled, causing her to lose balance. She accuses the defendants of being careless and negligent.

She is seeking more than $30,000 in damages and is being represented in the case by Daniel Goodman of The Law Office of Daniel E. Goodman.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2013L013843.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.