Apartment Complex Not Liable for Slip-and-fall

Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a Jacksonville apartment complex following a three-day jury trial. The plaintiff alleged that on a rainy day, when exiting the apartment complex’s leasing office, she slipped on the top step of the stairway leading from the leasing office to the parking lot. The plaintiff claimed that she suffered a concussion, a torn rotator cuff, a partial tear of the superior labrum and permanent back pain. She subsequently had surgery to repair her rotator cuff and superior labrum. The plaintiff sought compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages and loss of earning capacity for the rest of her life, as well as pain, suffering, mental anguish and loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life. The defense relied on the plaintiff’s poor choice of footwear, her lack of credibility and the lack of credibility of her witnesses. Additionally, the defense presented inconsistencies in the plaintiff’s reporting of previous neck and back injuries to her treating physicians. The jury returned a defense verdict after less than an hour of deliberation.