Man falls into manhole, sues Village of Skokie

A man is suing over claims he sustained injures after falling into a manhole.

Francisco Mendiola filed a lawsuit Nov. 8 in the Circuit Court of Cook County against Oakton Kostner Corp. and the Village of Skokie, citing negligence and premise liability.

According to the complaint, Mendiola sustained serious injuries on July 18, when he fell into a manhole in a parking lot at 4335 Oakton St. in Skokie. He claims the manhole covering was unsecured and when he stepped on it, the manhole opened.

Mendiola is seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional minimum and is being represented by George Argionis and Al A. Koritsaris of Argionis & Associates LLC.

Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 2013L012365.

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.