RUSSELLVILLE — An Arkansas woman who slipped in an ice-covered walk-in freezer and suffered serious injuries claims she warned her employer of the hazard months before her accident.
Shelley Hughes filed a complaint May 10 in the Circuit Court of Pope County Arkansas Civil Division against Entergy Arkansas LLC and John Does 1-10 alleging negligence, products liability and breach of implied warranty of fitness, sound, workmanship and proper construction.
According to her complaint, Hughes was working as a cafeteria general manager for Imperial Vending's at its Nuclear One facility in Russellville, which is owned by Entergy, in the spring of 2018.
She alleges that on her first day, she noticed the two freezers had "significant accumulated ice on the floors" including one that had "inches of ice" on the walls and floors and that she reported the hazard to the district manager.
Hughes claims no action was taken to fix the freezers and that on July 5, 2018, she slipped on the ice in the freezer while she was rotating a product and fell on her back. She alleges she suffered a lower back strain, "lumbar spondylosis with radiculopathy and lumbar radicular syndrome" that had to be treated with steroid injections, physical therapy and surgery and incurred medical treatment costs of more than $103,444.20.
Hughes seeks monetary and all other just relief. She is represented by Brandon Lacy of The Lacy Law Firm in Jonesboro.
Circuit Court of Pope County Arkansas Civil Division case number 58CV-21-174