Swampscott woman suing building owner after fall

SALEM – A Swampscott woman is suing the owner of a Humphrey Street building occupied by a medical office after she slipped and became injured on black ice that had accumulated at the building?s entrance, according to documents filed in Salem Superior Court Tuesday.Attorney Thomas J. Freeman filed the lawsuit on behalf of Deborah Cartwright, who Freeman claimed fractured her left shoulder after falling outside a medical office located at 440 Humphrey St. in Swampscott. The building is owned by William O?Brien, who does business under the name Blaney Associates, according to the filed complaint.The complaint states water dripping from the building structure formed a pool of water that soon froze in the front entryway, and Cartwright slipped and fell as she exited from a medical appointment.Freeman asserts in the complaint that O?Brien knew about the dripping water problem prior to Cartwright?s accident and was negligent in taking care of it. He is seeking a trial by jury along with interest and costs. A cover sheet filed with the complaint showed $12,681.47 in medical expenses and lost wages Cartwright accrued as a result of the fall.O?Brien could not be reached for comment.Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].