Homeowners Avoid Liability in $700,000 Trip and Fall Verdict Against Property Developer and Contractor

Homeowners Avoid Liability in $700,000 Trip and Fall Verdict Against Property Developer and Contractor

Attorney Sarah B. Christie obtained a defense verdict after an 8-day trial in Worcester Superior Court in a case involving a trip and fall on a sidewalk. The elderly plaintiff alleged she sustained serious injuries including a fractured left shoulder and torn rotator cuff requiring surgery when she tripped and fell on a 1-2 inch lip of pavement left by a contractor on the sidewalk in front of the defendant homeowners’ property. Plaintiff also developed an infection which required multiple additional surgeries, a 21-day hospitalization and several months of IV antibiotic treatment. The plaintiff sued the contractor who in turn brought a Third-Party Complaint against our clients, the homeowners, and the developer of the property. At trial, the contractor claimed that the homeowners should have warned the plaintiff of the condition of the sidewalk. After deliberations, the jury returned a verdict finding no negligence on the part of our clients, the homeowners, but awarded the plaintiff $700,000 based on findings of negligence against the developer and contractor.

Other Cases / Wins: Construction Litigation

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