A woman who slipped and fell at Cinder Butte Meat Co. during a job interview, breaking her wrists and ankles, is suing the company for more than $2 million, according to court records.

In a lawsuit filed Jan. 30 in Deschutes County Circuit Court, Diana Lemons, 58 at the time, states she fell while interviewing for a job as a meat wrapper at Cinder Butte Meat Co. in Redmond. Her lawsuit states she was asked to wrap meat and place it in a bin on the other side of the packing area.

While walking to that area, she had to squeeze between an employee and metal crates on the floor, according to the lawsuit. That was when Lemons states she “stepped on fat and grease that was on the surrounding concrete floor” and fell, said Tim Williams, the Bend attorney representing Lemons.

The incident occurred Nov. 1, 2016. The lawsuit states “the fat and grease on the floor constituted an unreasonable risk of harm to others, including Diana Lemons.”

Williams said the incident was an accident.

“Neither (Lemons) nor I think the owners are bad people,” Williams said last week. “Sadly you can’t get a claim settled with an insurance carrier. The only way is to file a lawsuit.”

Bob Mehan, who owns the company with his wife, Lori, said Wednesday that Lemons was not asked to do any work during the interview.

“That is not our standard practice,” Mehan said. “It’s a fast-paced job, and it wasn’t what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to stand and not do any work. Just observe.”

The lawsuit asks for damages to cover the loss of income, Lemon’s husband’s loss of income while she was injured and medical expenses, Williams said. Lemons, Williams said, has osteoporosis, which makes her bones brittle and more susceptible to injury. Her lawsuit asks for $1.2 million in economic damages and about $854,000 to cover her medical and other costs.

Cinder Butte Meat Co. was purchased by the Mehans in 2012. Cinder Butte Meat Co. has been in business since 1945 in Redmond. The couple also operate another facility in Prineville.

— Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com

(Editor’s note: This article has been corrected. The original article misidentified the business’s former name. The Bulletin regrets the error.)