Personal Injury Attorney Services
Falls & Premises Liability

Past Verdicts – Falls & Premises Liability Case

How To Win A Sidewalk Trip-And-Fall Case

Sidewalk trip-and-fall cases are very difficult to win.  The local government always points out, correctly, that it’s impossible to monitor sidewalk conditions on every street in town all the time.  So the challenge becomes to show not that they should have known about the defect, but that they actually did know about it.

Take the case of my client, a lovely middle-aged lady who sustained serious injuries after a fall on a sidewalk in Palm Beach County.

Through public records requests, we learned that the city manager where my client had fallen had written the Florida Department of Transportation twice complaining about hazardous conditions on the sidewalk in the area where my client later fell.

Twice, the Florida Department of Transportation replied to the City Manager by pointing out that the defective sidewalks were the responsibility of the city, not the Florida Department of Transportation.

We took the video deposition of the City Manager, and put this exchange of correspondence in front of him and on the record, with the defense attorney sitting there powerless to stop us.  A six-figure settlement and the gratitude of a happy client ensued.

CONFIDENTIAL SIX-FIGURE SETTLEMENT FOR SLIP-AND-FALL

The scene was luxury condominium, where residents pay premium prices for premium accommodations.  Only one thing:

Maintenance crews would use high gloss sealants in certain areas on walkways outside, so in some places it would be slippery when it rained, and in other spots less so.

We brought in an expert to test the coefficient of friction.  X-rays taken immediately after the accident showing a displaced knee cap.  X-rays taken months later showed orthopedic hardware permanently installed in our client’s leg.

Although in her eighth decade of life, the client was an athlete, skilled in tennis and golf, still leading a vigorous, outgoing and social life.  Good clients make for good results, and after a thorough work-up, we were able to precisely that by means of a six figure settlement  accomplished without putting the client through the stress of jury trial.

MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DAMAGE VERDICT FOR SECURITY GUARD, 64, IN SLIP AND FALL

Our client, a 64-year old security guard, tripped and fell because of a defective walking surface where construction work in the bank building had been left uncompleted. The fall injured a previously undiscovered condition in his spine known as an arteriovenous malformation, which resulted in paraplegia. The jury returned a $1.8-million damage award.

Multi-Million Dollar Damage Verdict for Security Guard, 64, in Slip and Fall

Our client, Luis, was a 64-year old grandfather, with a retirement job as a bank security guard. While working on the job, he tripped and fell because of a defective walking surface where construction work in the bank building had been left uncompleted.

Unfortunately, Luis had a previously undiscovered condition in his spine known as an arteriovenous malformation, or “AVM.” The fall injured the AVM, which in turn, resulted in Luis becoming paraplegic and confined to life in a wheelchair.

Working with our client’s neurosurgeon, we succeeded in proving that a seemingly minor occurrence actually caused catastrophic injuries. As a result, the jury returned a $1.8-million damage award.

To see more about premises liability injuries, click “Negligent Security”.

And if we can help you or a loved one following an accidental injury, please call us directly for a free consultation. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.