FARMINGTON – An icy, slippery walkway has brought a civil suit against James and Melinda Mullen of Wilton by the Maine Municipal Association.

The association provides insurance for Maine municipalities, including the town of Wilton, and administers workers compensation claims for individuals employed by Wilton.

While reading a water meter at the Mullen residence on Feb. 23, 2005, Dale Welch, who serves the town as a water operator, slipped and fell on the Mullen’s icy walkway and suffered multiple fractures to his leg, a court document states.

Welch was not able to return to work for several months, Town Manager Peter Nielsen said Friday.

The Maine Municipal Association paid worker’s compensation benefits to Welch and filed a civil suit Nov. 2, 2007, in Franklin County Superior Court for compensation for damages suffered, including cost, expenses, attorney fees and interest.

In the suit, association attorneys from the firm of Norman, Hanson & DeTroy, LLC, claim that with no significant precipitation in the area for more than a week, the Mullens had ample time to clean accumulated ice and snow from their walkway. The suit claims there was four inches of accumulated ice and snow on the walkway at the time Welch fell.

The suit claims negligence because residents have a duty to take reasonable steps to keep their property free from danger to anyone visiting the property. Reasonable steps, the suit says, include removing accumulated ice and snow from the walkway. The suit claims the Mullens breached that duty when they allowed ice and snow to accumulate.

Their negligence, as stated in the suit, caused bodily injury, pain and suffering to Welch.

Attempts to reach the attorneys and Mullens on Friday were unsuccessful.