Jury Awards $2.5M in Danbury Garage Slip-and-Fall Case
Table of Contents
Case Background
On October 24, 2023, Raoul Gouin walked through the parking garage at Crown Pointe Apartments located at 50 Saw Mill Road in Danbury, Connecticut. At approximately 9:30 in the morning, Gouin slipped and fell due to oil that accumulated on the parking garage floor. The fall resulted in serious injuries to his right shoulder and arm. Gouin filed a personal injury lawsuit against Crown Pointe SPE LLC, a Delaware limited liability company that owned the property, and Jessica Telesco, the property manager of the apartment complex.
Cause
The lawsuit arose from a premises liability claim. Gouin alleged that the Defendants failed to properly maintain, inspect, and monitor the parking garage floor. According to the complaint, the Defendants knew or should have known that the floor was wet and slippery from oil but took inadequate steps to correct the problem. The Plaintiff further claimed that the Defendants failed to warn visitors about the dangerous condition and did not erect signs, barriers, or otherwise isolate the hazardous area.
Injury
The fall caused Gouin to suffer a proximal right humerus fracture. He also experienced ongoing right shoulder and arm pain. The Plaintiff claimed both physical and mental pain and suffering as a result of his injuries. Some or all of these injuries were alleged to be permanent in nature.
Damages Sought
Gouin sought monetary damages exceeding $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs. He claimed compensation for medical expenses incurred for care and treatment, anticipated future medical expenses, and damages for his inability to participate in and enjoy his usual activities.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Raoul Gouin
· Counsel for Plaintiff: Christopher J. Flood, Esq., | Dominique Granata, Esq.
· Experts for Plaintiff: Clinton Jambor | Eric Gorny | Michael Kuhn
Defendants: Crown Pointe SPE LLC | Jessica Telesco
· Counsel for Defendants: Laura M. Warsawski, Esq.
· Experts for Defendants:
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
The case proceeded through the Connecticut Superior Court at the Judicial District of Danbury. The Plaintiff filed the complaint on June 12, 2024, with a return date of July 30, 2024. The Defendants submitted their answer and special defenses on October 21, 2024.
Claims
The Plaintiff brought two counts of negligence against the Defendants. The first count named Crown Pointe SPE LLC as the property owner. Gouin argued that the company owned and controlled the premises and therefore owed a duty to inspect and maintain the parking garage. The complaint listed multiple ways in which the Defendant allegedly breached this duty, including failure to properly maintain and inspect the parking garage floor, failure to remove the oil from the floor, failure to properly monitor the garage for spills, allowing liquid to accumulate on the floor, and allowing the liquid to remain in place for an unreasonable period of time. The Plaintiff also claimed the Defendant failed to enact and follow adequate procedures to ensure proper inspection and maintenance, failed to properly train employees, failed to warn visitors about the wet and slippery conditions, and failed to erect signs or barriers to isolate the dangerous area.
The second count named Jessica Telesco, identified as the property manager of Crown Pointe Apartments. Gouin alleged that Telesco and her agents possessed and controlled the parking garage floor and owed a duty to inspect and maintain it. The negligence claims against Telesco mirrored those brought against the property owner.
Defense
The Defendants denied the negligence allegations and raised the special defense of comparative negligence. They argued that the Plaintiff's accident and claimed injuries resulted in whole or in part from his own negligence. Specifically, the defense contended that Gouin failed to watch where he was stepping, failed to keep a proper lookout, and failed to be watchful of his surroundings and pay attention to where he was going. The Defendants also argued that the Plaintiff was aware, or should have been aware, of the risks present yet chose to walk without due regard for his own safety. Additionally, the defense claimed that Gouin failed to take necessary and proper precautions to observe the conditions existing at the time and place of the incident and failed to use reasonable care for his own safety commensurate with the existing circumstances.
Regarding the first count against Crown Pointe SPE LLC, the Defendants admitted certain foundational facts, including that the company was a Delaware LLC, owned the premises at 50 Saw Mill Road, controlled the parking garage, and had a duty to inspect and maintain it. However, the Defendants denied the negligence allegations and claimed insufficient knowledge regarding the circumstances of the Plaintiff's fall and injuries.
For the second count against Jessica Telesco, the Defendants denied all allegations, including that Telesco served as property manager, that she possessed and controlled the parking garage, and that she had a duty to inspect and maintain it.
Jury Verdict
The jury delivered its verdict on October 29, 2025, in favor of the Plaintiff, Raoul Gouin, against the Defendants. The jury assigned 99 percent of the liability to the Defendants and 1 percent to the Plaintiff. This allocation demonstrated that while the jury found the Defendants overwhelmingly responsible for the accident, it also determined that Gouin bore minimal fault for his own injuries.
The jury awarded total economic damages of $309,043.32. These damages covered the Plaintiff's medical expenses and other quantifiable financial losses resulting from the fall. The jury also awarded $2,300,000 in noneconomic damages, compensating Gouin for his pain and suffering, both physical and mental. The combined total damages amounted to $2,609,043.32.
Under Connecticut's comparative negligence rules, the final award required reduction by the percentage of liability attributed to the Plaintiff. Because the jury assigned 1 percent fault to Gouin, the Court reduced the total award by that percentage. The final award to the Plaintiff after this reduction came to $2,582,952.89.
The verdict form was signed by the jury foreperson on October 30, 2025, and filed with the Office of the Clerk at the Connecticut Superior Court.