Settlement in case of St. Charles woman who died after fall at local grocer

On May 9, 2009, Irene DeHaeseleer walked into the Blue Goose Market in St. Charles. Nine days later after falling in the store she died.

The 87-year-old St. Charles woman used the restroom at the store while there. While inside, she encountered a puddle of liquid on the floor that she slipped and fell while crossing, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by her son, Dan DeHaeseleer.

The lawsuit states the owners of the store management had an obligation to either clean up the liquid, warn customers of the presence of liquid on the floor, and/or provide a route around the liquid and that the store fulfilled none of those obligations, leading to Irene DeHaeseleer's fall and her subsequent death.

Court records show Dan DeHaeseleer, of Maple Park, originally sought in excess of $50,000 plus attorneys' fees in the suit.

The owners of Blue Goose Market elected not to contest the lawsuit in court. Instead, they reached an out-of-court settlement earlier this month for $100,000. Part of the award must go to pay any outstanding medical bills Irene DeHaeseleer accumulated. Another $33,333.33 is due to DeHaeseleer's attorneys.