A Hamilton County jury has awarded an Ohio woman $3m (￡2,4m) after finding the Jack Casino of Cincinnati liable for a slip and fall incident. Lynda Sadowski was visiting the casino in September 2016 when she slipped on a “wet floor” sign that had fallen. She suffered from injuries that resulted in surgery, as well as arthritis and other medical issues.
Ordinary care failure
The jury found that Jack Casino failed in using ordinary care as well as maintaining a safe environment, which resulted in Ms. Sadowski suffering injuries. The sign was reportedly knocked down by a customer earlier in the day. As Ms. Sadowski approached the area, she did not see it on the ground. She then tripped and fell, sustaining injuries to her kneecap.
According to Ms. Sadowski’s attorney, an employee walked around the sign just before the injury occurred. The employee did not pick up the sign and put it back in place to warn patrons of the wet floor.
Attorney Matt Nakajima said: “The casino had no safety policies in place for floor inspection or fall prevention and had no criticism of the employee’s failure to pick up the trip hazard, even though its own internal documents found her at fault. The casino’s callous disregard for their customers’ safety was on full display throughout the trial.”
Injuries sustained
The slip and fall resulted in a broken kneecap for Ms. Sadowski, for which she required surgery. Surgeons placed metal hardware inside her knee. Ms. Sadowski said her mobility had worsened as a result of the accident. She also had arthritis in her knee.
In court, Jack Casino argued that the sign was visible, stating that Ms. Sadowski failed to see it as she walked through the venue. Reportedly, the casino’s attorney stated the victim was injured due to her failure to pay attention to her surroundings.
Ms. Sadowski stated in her complaint that she was suffering from permanent bodily harm as well as incurring medical expenses. She also claimed pain and suffering resulting from the casino’s negligence and carelessness.
Her complaint stated further that she had lost the enjoyment of her good health. As a result, the jury decided to award the large sum, finding Jack Casino at fault when it came to Ms. Sadowski’s injury. The jury decided that ordinary care had not been provided by the casino, which put Ms. Sadowski’s safety at risk.