J.J. v. Centaur Building Services, Inc. – $650,000 Slip and Fall Verdict- St. Louis County

Plaintiff alleged that she entered the lobby hallway of her office building while working late. The marble floor in the lobby, which always appeared wet due to its glossy sheen, had just been mopped by the Defendant, an office cleaning company. Plaintiff slipped and fell as a result of the wet floor and sustained a femur fracture, causing significant pain and necessitating a long recovery that included surgery and hospitalization resulting in a rod in her leg.

Plaintiff said there was no ‘wet floor’ warning sign present when she fell, but Defendant maintained that a ‘wet floor’ sign had been present.

The case proceeded to trial in St. Louis County (Missouri) Circuit Court. Plaintiff presented no medical bills as evidence at trial because they did not fairly represent the severity of the injury. Plaintiff worked from home during the recovery period and returned to work part-time after the injury, experiencing no reduction in salary, so plaintiff did not seek benefits for lost wages.

The jury awarded Plaintiff $650,000 after three days of trial. The jury found Plaintiff was partially at fault for the fall, therefore, her recovery was reduced by 25 percent to account for her 25 percent responsibility.