March 2014 – Los Angeles Partner Obtains Defense Verdict in Premises Liability Case
In March 2014, Borton Petrini partner Matthew Trostler defended a premises liability case in Los Angeles. The case involved whether the defendant residential property owner could be held liable for an allegedly dangerous condition on an exterior stairway. Plaintiff argued that an overhead light had not been working for over a month before the fall which would have constituted constructive notice of a dangerous condition. Plaintiff claimed to have sustained soft tissue type injuries to the ankle and hand. Plaintiff was impeached through her inconsistent testimony and delay in medical treatment. The jury rejected plaintiff’s claims of negligence and premises liability in only 34 minutes of deliberations.