Man Sues After Falling Through Pier

By Danielle Briones

Published on July 22, 2005

On June 14, Brookfield city Alderman Daniel Sutton filed a lawsuit against Pier 347 Pub & Grill, a local construction company and their national insurance providers. Sutton said he suffered a herniated disc after falling 3 feet through a dock on Pewaukee Lake in June 2003. Pewaukee Mayor Jeff Nowak wasn't named in the suit, but he owns the restaurant and pier.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for pain, embarrassment, lost wages and medical bills, which could total more than $200,000.

Sutton was riding in a friend's boat when it docked on the restaurant's pier. Sutton walked on the pier to find a portable toilet. But as he walked back to the boat, a board collapsed and he fell about three feet, his weight landing on his left leg.

Sutton said that the restaurant's insurance carrier investigated the pier collapse and concluded that the dock had been improperly installed. But the liability insurer for the dock installer denied Sutton's claim for damages.

Comment on this article →