Condo resident awarded $4M for slip and fall on icy patio

A condominium manager and another company have been found liable for debilitating injuries suffered by a woman in a slip-and-fall accident in another state. The defendants have been ordered to pay the woman more than $4 million for her permanent and debilitating injuries, which were caused by a fall on her patio that was covered by ice and snow despite their obligation to keep it clear. This demonstrates how a condo’s management company in North Carolina could put their residents at risk of harm by not living up to their duties .

According to an article about this personal injury verdict, two inches of snow fell the day before the accident, followed by freezing rain. That combination leads to very slippery and dangerous conditions on walkways.

The managing agency that oversaw the condo development where the plaintiff lived was supposed to keep the steps and patio leading out of her unit shoveled and salted to prevent falls but did “a very sloppy job,” only partly clearing the steps and doing nothing on the patio, according to the plaintiff’s attorney. The company had contracted out snow clearing duties to the other defendant.

The plaintiff injured herself trying to walk across her patio to visit a neighbor. She slipped and fell on the ice and severely injured her spine. Her attorney said that she is totally disabled, unable to walk, sit or stand for long periods and will be in pain the rest of her life.

That was four years ago. Following trial, the jury found that the managing agent was 75 percent responsible for her injuries and the contractor was 25 percent at faul. They awarded the woman nearly $4.1 million in damages, including non-economic damages for pain and suffering.

Source: Staten Island Advance, “Staten Island woman awarded $4M in slip-and-fall lawsuit,’ Frank Donnelly, June 10, 2013