Pedestrian sues City of Harvey after she trips and falls over manhole cover

Stephanie Clausell filed a lawsuit Nov. 20 in the Cook County Circuit Court against the City of Harvey, as well as its water and street departments, over injuries she claims she sustained as a result of the defendants' negligence.

According to the complaint, Clausell was walking near 15517 S. Ashland Ave. in Harvey in November 2012 when she fell over a manhole.

She claims the city was negligent by failing to maintain and control a manhole cover near the aforementioned location. The suit alleges that the manhole cover was loose and contained a gap, which caused Clausell to trip and fall.

She is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 and is being represented by attorney Brian M. Murray.

Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 2013L013307.

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