• 10
  • February
    2012

The risk of a slip and fall varies according to all sorts of conditions that may be in place at any given time. But it's usually possible to reduce risk by managing those variables. Indeed, every Maryland property owner has a responsibility to do just that to mitigate the chance of someone getting hurt.

When accidents do happen, victims of personal injury need to be sure that they will have the greatest possible access to the medical care and all the recuperation time necessary for recovery, without having to worry about where the money is going to come from. The help of an attorney can be key.

The recent verdict by a jury and subsequent monetary award granted by the judge in a personal injury lawsuit offers just such assurance for a 49-year-old Georgia man. According to media reports about the case, the man was awarded $2.3 million in damages from his slip-and-fall suit.

The action stemmed from a May 2008 incident at a Kroger grocery store in Douglasville, Georgia. According to court papers, the man was shopping and slipped on a floor that had been made slick by crushed fruit. As a result of the fall, he suffered spinal cord injuries that required surgery and the implantation of stabilizing rods and screws. Previously a commercial landscaper, he was now unable to work.

Last month, the matter made it to court. But before the issue even made it to the jury, the judge declared Kroger had been negligent. That determination was based on his conclusion that the company had tried to cover up video evidence that clearly showed what happened in the accident. The jury's job then was limited to setting the $2.3 million award for damages.

Kroger officials say they're weighing whether to appeal the decision.

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Gwinnett jury returns $2.3 million verdict in slip-and-fall lawsuit against Kroger," Andria Simmons, Jan. 26, 2012