Premises Liability

On May 21, 2020, Marie Thornton tripped over concealed fence wires on the Legion of Honor Side Path in San Francisco. She sued the City and County of San Francisco for negligence, premises liability, and dangerous condition of public property (Gov. Code §835), citing poor maintenance, overgrown foliage, broken fencing, and lack of warnings. Thornton alleged severe, permanent injuries, medical costs, lost wages, and impaired daily function. The City denied liability, asserting procedural defects, statutory immunities, assumed risk, comparative negligence, and failure to mitigate damages. On February 6, 2025, the parties reached a $300,000 conditional settlement, pending City approval, with dismissal expected by June 1, 2025.

On May 27, 2022, bicyclist James Baldwin Jr. crashed on Washington Boulevard, Marina del Rey, allegedly due to a pavement defect. He sued Los Angeles for negligence, dangerous condition of public property (Gov. Code §835), and premises liability, citing serious injuries, disability, medical costs, lost income, and property damage. The City denied liability, claiming Baldwin’s negligence, assumed risk, other parties’ fault, statutory immunities, and procedural bars. On February 7, 2024, they reached a conditional $500,000 settlement, pending City Council approval, with dismissal expected by November 4, 2024.

Minor plaintiff Giselle Ayar tripped on an uneven, poorly lit sidewalk on Crockett Street in Sun Valley, Los Angeles, on June 26, 2021. She sued property owner Inna Ghevondyan, the City, and County of Los Angeles, alleging negligence and dangerous property conditions. All defendants denied liability, citing statutory immunities, lack of notice, and contributory negligence. After litigation, the parties reached an unconditional settlement on September 9, 2024, for $500,000, resolving all claims.

Meir Blum sued the City of Los Angeles after tripping on a raised sidewalk near 9500 Cashio Street. He alleged negligence and a dangerous public property condition under Government Code §835. The City denied liability, citing Plaintiff’s comparative negligence, third-party fault, statutory immunities, and the Tort Claims Act. To avoid trial, the parties reached a $200,000 settlement, resolving all claims and dismissing the case with prejudice.

In March 2022, Arin Phillips visited the Costco-Kendall store in Miami-Dade County, Florida, for routine shopping. While walking through an aisle filled with household goods, her foot slipped on a wet spot on the floor. There were no cones, warning signs, or employees nearby to alert customers about the hazard. She fell hard, landing on her right hip and shoulder. Other shoppers hurried to help as store workers called for medical assistance. Paramedics arrived within minutes and transported Phillips to a nearby hospital, where doctors diagnosed a fractured hip and shoulder injuries.Phillips later said that her life changed after the fall. The accident disrupted her daily routine, work, and physical well-being. What had begun as a normal afternoon of shopping turned into months of medical care and rehabilitation.Phillips claimed Costco was negligent in maintaining safe conditions for shoppers. She argued that employees failed to inspect the area or clean up the spill in

Plaintiff Maribel Stevens sued Hervis Properties, LLC, alleging she slipped on snow, ice, and debris in a Norwich parking lot. She claimed the property was unsafe and poorly maintained, resulting in a fractured foot and lasting impairment. The Defendant denied liability and argued Stevens’ own negligence caused the fall. On July 30, 2025, a jury found no negligence by Hervis Properties and entered judgment for the defense, awarding no damages.

In Hemispheres Condominium Association, Inc. v. 2000 Ocean Owner LLC, Suffolk Construction, and others, the association alleged that years of nearby tower construction caused flooding, structural damage, clogged drains, and loss of amenities at its Hallandale Beach property. Claims included breach of contract, negligence, and trespass. The defense denied liability, arguing lack of contractual privity and third-party causes. On March 17, 2025, a Broward County jury largely sided with Hemispheres, awarding damages for debris and vibration damage, along with trespass, though no damages were awarded for breach of contract.

In Prakaido Hoets v. Ferris Avenue Holdings, LLC, the plaintiff claimed she was injured when an attic floor collapsed beneath her in a Norwalk property. Hoets argued the landlord failed to maintain the premises and violated building codes, causing her lasting leg and back injuries. The defense maintained Hoets ignored safety and stepped on an unsafe section of the attic. On August 2, 2024, a Connecticut jury sided with the landlord, delivering a full defense verdict and awarding no damages to the plaintiff.

James LaFountain sued JPD Properties after falling on deteriorated stairs at a commercial property in Enfield, claiming the landlord failed to maintain safe conditions. He suffered serious shoulder injuries requiring surgery and ongoing treatment, while his wife, Janet, filed a loss of consortium claim. The defense argued James was responsible for his own fall. After trial in October 2024, the jury found for JPD Properties on both counts, awarding no damages to the LaFountains. The verdict underscored the hurdles in proving negligence in premises liability cases.

This case began with an accident at a Meriden home on September 25, 2016. The property at 9 Anthony Terrace belonged to Donna Morley. Sean Kendrick, who lived at the house as a lawful tenant and invitee, claimed that the outside stairs leading to the main entrance were unsafe.According to Kendrick, one of the steps was broken and unstable. He said it had been neglected for some time, and Morley failed to repair it. On the day of the accident, the step collapsed beneath him, sending him falling backward.Kendrick filed suit in September 2018. He argued that Morley had a legal duty to keep her property safe for those living there and that her failure to fix the stairs directly caused his fall.Morley denied this. In her answer to the complaint, she insisted Kendrick was not her guest or tenant. She claimed the house was leased to someone else and that she had no responsibility for the condition of the steps.The case revolved around the staircase. Kendrick cla

A Torrington jury sided with Cumberland Farms in a lawsuit filed by Robert Allan Goulet, who was run over by a truck while tying his shoe in the store’s parking lot in 2019. Goulet alleged that poor design and management of the lot created unsafe conditions and sought damages for his serious injuries. The jury, however, found no negligence on the part of Cumberland Farms or its co-defendants, delivering a defense verdict that left Goulet without compensation.

This case had arisen from a fall that had occurred in East Haven, Connecticut. On October 27, 2017, at around 7:00 p.m., Eileen Tobin had visited the Mansfield Landing Yachting Community. She had gone to Building 1 at 233 Mansfield Grove Road, an office she had entered as a business invitee.As she stepped outside, she used the stairs that connected the building to the walkway. The exterior light above the steps was not working. In the fading October darkness, she descended the stairs. Without lighting, she misjudged her footing, slipped, and fell down the steps.Tobin said the poor lighting created a hazardous condition that the property owners and managers had allowed to persist. She filed suit against Mansfield Landing Yachting Community, Inc., the property owner; Pagliaro, Inc., operating as Collect Associates, the maintenance company; and Empire Property Management Corporation, which also managed the premises.Tobin argued that the fall happened because the de