Customer's fall over debris at Meijer leads to lawsuit

A patron of a Berwyn grocery store is suing over allegations he fell over debris on the floor.

Joel Cerny filed a lawsuit Feb. 3 in Cook County Circuit Court against Meijer Inc., Meijer Stores LP, Meijer Group Inc., Meijer Great Lakes LP, Meijer Distribution Inc., Cermak Plaza Associates and Concordia Realty Management.

According to the complaint, Cerny was shopping at the Meijer Marketplace at 7111 Cermak Road on Feb. 24, 2013, when he fell over debris on the floor. He accuses the defendants of failing to maintain a safe environment and warn patrons of the allegedly dangerous conditions by posting a sign and/or removing debris from the floor.

Cerny claims she suffered severe injuries and seeks compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, attorney fees and costs. He is represented by attorney Joseph Lauer of Whiteside & Goldberg in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015L001097.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. 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 represents only one side of the story.