Eight years after a fall at Menards in Bradley, a Watseka woman has been awarded $250,000 for injuries suffered on New Year's Day 2006.

A Kankakee County jury (Friday) ruled LouWonna Snodgrass is be paid for medical bills and pain and suffering when she slipped on PVC pipes left in the store.

Her attorney said the hardware chain offered to settle the case for $61,000, but LouWonna Snodgrass asked for $88,000 to cover medical expenses. The case went to trial with the jury ruling coming last Friday.

Mrs. Snodgrass was left with a herniated disc in her neck.

Snodgrass' attorney, Ryan Yagoda, said "She was awarded 10 weeks of disability coverage, but she was working from home within four weeks and working part-time with eight weeks. She isn't some sort of opportunist looking for a payday." He added, "I think the jury saw her as an honest person."

The Kankakee Daily-Journal reported, according to The Legal Finance Journal, an industry trade group, only 4 percent of personal injury lawsuits ever make it to trial. And when it comes to cases like the one Snodgrass was involved in, only 39 percent of plaintiffs win. The median amount of money awarded by juries is $90,000.
"There was video surveillance of the fall showing that she had no idea the pipes were left in such a dangerous location," Yagoda said.

Snodgrass underwent surgery in 2008 after two years of treatment, he said.

Despite hearing testimony from a medical witness for Menards, the jury ruled in favor of Snodgrass, saying the retail chain must pay for her medical bills, loss of normal life activities, as well as pain and suffering.

94.1 WGFA