Personal Injury

Plaintiff middle-aged woman was walking on a poorly lit public sidewalk when she encountered an uplifted section adjacent to a tree. Apparently a decorative tree placed in the sidewalk some years prior developed roots that as they grew, began to uplift the surrounding concrete. Plaintiff tripped and fell, landing on her knees and fracturing her patella. The municipality where the sidewalk was located had enacted an ordinance several years before the injury occurred which transferred the duty for the care and maintenance of the sidewalks to the adjacent property owners, and created a rule where any injuries to 3rd parties caused by a defect in the sidewalk was also the responsibility of the adjacent owner. Both the municipality and the property owner were sued for premises liability with the main issue being the appropriate allocation of comparative and contributory fault in light of the city's ordinance that shifted responsibility to the property owner. The case was successfully resolved.

Successfully resolved litigated property damage case. Defendant borrowed Plaintiff's new vehicle while on vacation together and subsequently was involved in a year end collision. Defendant's insurer denied coverage for the vehicle damages, however Plaintiff's insurer paid for the repairs. Plaintiff thereafter sued Defendant driver for damages including out-of-pocket expenses and vehicle depreciation.

Successfully mediated litigated matter involving a rear-end collision (truck v. auto) where liability was disputed.