Personal Injury Law

Missouri Premise Liability Personal Injury Settlement - We Obtained a $60,000 Settlement for a Client's Knee Injury as the Result of a Slip and Fall at Lowe's

By Benjamin J. Sansone, Esq.

My Missouri personal injury client, Kathy, is a self made small business owner who was injured as the result of a dangerous condition on the premises of Lowe's back in July 2007. She incurred personal injury to her knee and incurred $15,000 in medical bills as a result of Lowe's negligence under Missouri injury law. Our Missouri personal injury law experience and expertise helped secure a $60,000 settlement for Kathy, 4 times the amount of her medical bills.

Kathy was what Missouri personal injury attorneys call a "business invitee" on Lowe's? premises, thus raising the standard of care as the premises is open to the public for business purposes. Kathy was caused to slip and fall due to an unreasonably dangerous condition on Lowe's? property, specifically, standing water on the concrete floor. Moreover, not only was there standing water but the Missouri injury liability was aggravated because there was organic soot and plant food in the water, making the concrete excessively slick as compared to just water on concrete. Additionally, this condition was located across the entrance to the nursery section at Lowe's, an obvious high foot traffic area.

As you can see in the picture, the saw cut between the Lowe?s entry and exit gate is full of a black substance, that is organic grunge; additionally, the water between the gates has this same organic material under it as this is drain off from the plants being watered, thus carrying dissolved plant food and minerals that make the concrete floor incredibly slick.

Also, you can see there is a crack in the concrete which creates about a ½ inch lip, Kathy slid on the water (you can see several slip marks in the picture) full of the organic material and then she hit the lip causing her knee to twist and her resultant fall and injuries. Lastly, there were no warning cones present, where they should have been, instead they were off to the side behind a counter.

The premise was within the exclusive control of Lowe's and it was held open to the public for business invitee access. Therefore, Lowe's owed Kathy the highest degree of care under Missouri personal injury law to keep the premises in a safe condition and to regularly inspect it to guarantee invitee safety.

Additional info on Missouri Premise Liability Law as written by a Missouri personal injury lawyer.

Full post as published by Missouri Injury Law Blog on September 22, 2008 (boomark / email).