St. Charles Riverfest sued for fall

A former candidate for Kane County Board chairman who recently lost a lawsuit challenging recent raises given to 14 county employees is back in court.

Elburn resident James MacRunnels and his wife, Colleen, are suing the St. Charles Downtown Partnership, the St. Charles Festival Committee, Harris Bank and the Frontier Management Group for damages from an incident at the city’s Riverfest in 2009.

The lawsuit, which was moved from Cook County to Kane County, charges that negligence lead to Colleen MacRunnels slipping on a rubber mat and breaking her ankle while the couple volunteered at the festival’s VIP tent on July 23, 2009.

“This is a lady who was volunteering at a festival and got hurt and we’re just trying to get her compensated for her injury,” said Douglas Sullivan, the MacRunnels’ attorney.

A rubber mat was placed on an uneven surface near the tent, which was set up in the parking lot behind the Harris Bank in downtown St. Charles, and Colleen MacRunnels broke her left ankle, had to have surgery and now has nerve damage, Sullivan said.

James MacRunnels, who ran for the GOP nomination for county board chair in 2008 and sued Kane County Chairman Karen McConnaughay over raises last year, also is a plaintiff in the injury suit.

His lawsuit against McConnaughay was thrown out of court in April and a judge recently denied MacRunnels’ appeal.

Jennifer Faivre, the downtown partnership’s executive director, referred inquiries to attorney Lori Vanderlaan, who could not be reached for comment.

Joseph Eichberger, an attorney representing Harris and the festival committee, declined to comment on the case, which seeks damages of more than $50,000 and a jury trial.

The parties are due in court on Aug. 18 before Judge Robert Spence for an initial hearing.