Split Jury Verdict in Copeland v. Delice Enterprises Case
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Case Background
In the early hours of January 1, 2021, Milagros Copeland walked through the rear parking lot of a building at 1872–1876 East Main Street in Waterbury. The lot belonged to Delice Enterprises, LLC, which owned and controlled the multi-purpose property. According to Copeland, the lot was poorly maintained and dangerously uneven.
At around 1 a.m., she stepped into a deep hole and fell forward. The fall fractured her left wrist and left her with lingering pain, swelling, and restricted motion. She later filed a lawsuit in May 2021, claiming Delice Enterprises had failed to keep the lot safe despite knowing its defects.
Cause that led to the dispute
Copeland’s lawsuit centred on negligence. She argued that Delice Enterprises let the parking lot fall into disrepair, with cracks, depressions, and craters scattered across the surface. The area also lacked proper lighting. She said these conditions made the lot unsafe for tenants and visitors alike.
She claimed the company ignored its duty to maintain the lot, failed to conduct routine inspections, and never repaired the most obvious dangers. According to her, the large hole that caused her fall had existed for a long time, giving the company more than enough time to fix it. She also argued that Delice Enterprises failed to block off or mark the area, leaving unsuspecting people exposed to the hazard.
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