Chicago Woman Sues Culver's After Walking Into Glass

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Chicago Woman Sues Culver's After Walking Into Glass
Resident says restaurant negligent for not marking glass panel
Posted: Jun 13 2013 9:36 AM CDT Updated: Jun 13 2013 12:34 PM CDT

An Iowa woman who hurt herself walking into a glass panel at Culver's is suing the restaurant for physical and emotional trauma. Chicago resident Mary T. McCarthy claims the restaurant in Coralville was negligent by not properly marking the panel, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported. "Essentially there should been some kind of markings on it -- a decal, a bar across -- something to indicate this was not open space," her attorney, George Appleby, told the newspaper.

McCarthy is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. According to the lawsuit, she attempted to walk through what she believed was an opening next to the exit door while eating at the restaurant in December 2011. McCarthy claims she dislocated her jaw, broke her nose, tore a rotator cuff and suffered neck and back injuries as a result, in addition to emotional trauma. The restaurant's general manager told the Press-Citizen he was unaware of the lawsuit and could not comment.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.

[JamesG]

Was she running the marathon w/ those injuries? What an idiot.

[Janice]

Adult size glass should always be marked in some way, usually decals. This goes for restaurants or those plate glass sliding doors in homes that open to backyard decks. It's very easy to walk right into it. That woman had a good stride going, but she most certainly was not an idiot. Try to imagine walking face first into hard glass. The poor woman must have seen stars. It's no joke. It's a safety issue, and I'm surprised that there are no laws on the books to prevent this.

Doors have to pushed outward, so people don't have to pull them open. Exit signs have to be prominently displayed, and those circular doors must have regular doors on each side of them. Many of these laws are a result of the huge fire in Boston in 1942 at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub which killed almost 500 people. Many of the victims were found atop one another in front of the circular door, which had jammed. Side doors were locked so people couldn't skip out on their bill, but on the night of the fire, they couldn't open the doors to save their lives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoanut_Grove_fire

[Family Ties Forever!]

Originally Posted by Janice

Adult size glass should always be marked in some way, usually decals. This goes for restaurants or those plate glass sliding doors in homes that open to backyard decks. It's very to walk right into it. That woman had a good stride going, but she most certainly was not an idiot. Try to imagine walking face first into hard glass. The poor woman must have seen stars. It's no joke. It's a safety issue, and I'm surprised that there are no laws on the books to prevent this.

I'm also surprised that there are measures in place so things like this don't happen. I do think that some kind of marking is a good idea. Those kinds of clear panels and doors without markings are impossible for me to see with my eye sight.

[Mr. Television]

Originally Posted by Janice

Adult size glass should always be marked in some way, usually decals. This goes for restaurants or those plate glass sliding doors in homes that open to backyard decks. It's very easy to walk right into it. That woman had a good stride going, but she most certainly was not an idiot. Try to imagine walking face first into hard glass. The poor woman must have seen stars. It's no joke. It's a safety issue, and I'm surprised that there are no laws on the books to prevent this.

Doors have to pushed outward, so people don't have to pull them open. Exit signs have to be prominently displayed, and those circular doors must have regular doors on each side of them. Many of these laws are a result of the huge fire in Boston in 1942 at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub which killed almost 500 people. Many of the victims were found atop one another in front of the circular door, which had jammed. Side doors were locked so people couldn't skip out on their bill, but on the night of the fire, they couldn't open the doors to save their lives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoanut_Grove_fire

I walked into one of those sliding glass doors at a neighbor's house when I was a kid. It didn't break and I wasn't hurt but it can be dangerous. I don't think the lady was an idiot. They can be tough to see sometimes. Restaurants should have something up there so people can tell that it's glass. That's awful about what happened in that fire in Boston. Those poor people.

[Regulus]

I would like to have seen the look on the Boston College Football Players Faces when they woke up Sunday Morning and either read the Newspaper or turned on their radios. (I presume they cried themselves to sleep after they got their @$$es kicked by Holy Cross University) This is considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history, this was something like the first-place football team vs the last-place football team, with the last-place team winning. Boston was expecting a blowout, and they got one, but not the one they were expecting!

It's a shame we have to have some kind of disaster before something is done about potential dangers. Many things we take for granted are due to the Coconut Grove Fire, in addition to outward facing doors adjacent to revolving doors, side entrances must be unlocked and exit signs must point the way to them.

Here's another item you probably don't know exists because of a disaster. Have you ever noticed the white line on the floor whenever you board a bus? My Mother was on the bus (a School Bus) that would result in the "No Standing in front of the line" rule we have today. It used to be (ESPECIALLY when it involve a School Bus). that they would CRAM in passengers to the point where those who couldn't get a seat would be forced to stand all the way to the door. I don't know what caused it but the bus crashed, killing several students (My mother said she lost three friends, and a fourth wound up in a wheelchair). Everyone who stood in front of the point where that white line is was killed. This is why that line is on a bus today.

Don't get me started on the Titanic.

[Janice]

Originally Posted by Regulus

I would like to have seen the look on the Boston College Football Players Faces when they woke up Sunday Morning and either read the Newspaper or turned on their radios. (I presume they cried themselves to sleep after they got their @$$es kicked by Holy Cross University) This is considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history, this was something like the first-place football team vs the last-place football team, with the last-place team winning. Boston was expecting a blowout, and they got one, but not the one they were expecting!

I doubt they cried themselves to sleep over a football game, but I'd say it's fairly certain that they were thanking God for the loss the next day. They had booked a victory party that they cancelled. It's safe to say that many players would have been among the casualties. That blowout was truly a blessing in disguise.

[Regulus]

It wasn't because of A football game, it was because they lost their chance at becoming champions. But yes, because of that loss they lived to see another day.

One report I read stated the room where they were supposed to have their party in (I believe it was called the Terrace Room) was a death trap. I feel for the group who was partying in that room (The Management certainly called someone who wanted that room but was told it had already been reserved - but because the team cancelled their party the Manager called the person who wanted that room in order to tell of the cancellation and to ask if he wanted it or not) Because this report said after the fire broke out NOBODY who was in that room came out alive. I,m certain the Team went to their knees to pray for God, asking him to comfort the relatives of those who perished, and to heal those who were wounded, as well as to thank him for intervening in their case.

[Janice]

One of the creepiest things that I read was that since the fire started on the ceiling of the Melody Lounge downstairs, the people dancing upstairs in the ballroom literally had their dance floor explode into flames.

I was shocked that the fire in The Station club in 2003 had flammable fabric everywhere. That was one of the biggest culprits of the Cocoanut Grove fire; that it started on a ceiling that was covered in satin. I know it was the pyrotechnics set off in the Station, but it wouldn't have been so bad if it didn't have so much flammable insulation. Terrible, over 60 years later and 100 more deaths. Had they learned anything?

[Regulus]

Originally Posted by Janice

One of the creepiest things that I read was that since the fire started on the ceiling of the Melody Lounge downstairs, the people dancing upstairs in the ballroom literally had their dance floor explode into flames.

I was shocked that the fire in The Station club in 2003 had flammable fabric everywhere. That was one of the biggest culprits of the Cocoanut Grove fire; that it started on a ceiling that was covered in satin. I know it was the pyrotechnics set off in the Station, but it wouldn't have been so bad if it didn't have so much flammable insulation. Terrible, over 60 years later and 100 more deaths. Had they learned anything?

A documentary that aired on HBO (Back when I used to have Cable - Pre 2007) about this disaster said the fire was started when a couple (Possibly the boyfriend/husband) stood on a table to unscrew a light bulb so they could make out. A Busboy was ordered by the bartender to put the light bulb back in since he couldn't see where the light bulb went in he lit a match...

It also said when the fire broke out upstairs it was "Like it fed on nothing but air". Panic Broke out, the Band playing in the ballroom attempted to lead people who couldn't get to the main exit because it was blocked by a fire to the back entrance only a handful followed them to the back door. Others went to doors and either found them locked or even worse, opend those doors and found themselves facing a brick wall! A Movie Star, Buck Jones was killed in the inferno.

Heck if I was James Cameron I'd make a movie about this disaster.

UPDATE: I found out Boston College went to the Orange Bowl on January 1, 1943, they were defeated by Alabama.

[Schmoopie]

I wouldn't say she was stupid b/c it's an easy thing to do. Glass is clear and vision can be deceiving. My mom ran into a glass door several years ago that wasn't marked at all and although she didn't sue the restaurant, she did complain to the manager. I don't know what kind of compensation she received though.