Sokol Law Firm settles unusual "slip and fall" case
My client was an 81 year old resident of an apartment building that housed senior citizens. She was seriously injured when she stepped into the building’s laundry room after the floor had been treated with glue or some other type of strong adhesive in preparation for replacing the floor.
When our client stepped into the laundry room, she became stuck to the floor and fell (first backwards and then upon getting herself up again, forwards). She struggled for approximately 45 minutes to get out of that laundry room without help. She sustained a broken wrist, among other injuries.
We argued that our client had no warning of the dangerous condition of the floor in the laundry room before entering, as there were no signs or tape warning that the floors were being redone. Moreover, the condition of the floor was not open and obvious because she got stuck upon her first step in. Both the carrier for the apartment building and for the contractor denied the claim.
We filed suit, and in depositions, elicited testimony that the contractor had been instructed to put caution tape all around the area, but had not done so. Based in large part upon this deposition testimony, we were able to settle the case for a confidential amount.