Illinois Attorneys Granted Summary Judgment Against Slip and Fall Claim

Litchfield Cavo attorneys Scott D. Stephenson and Phillip G. Litchfield prevailed on a summary judgment motion in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. In this case, our client faced a premises liability claim based on a slip and fall on ice. The plaintiff suffered numerous fractures and demanded $750,000 to settle her claims.

Our attorneys argued that the plaintiff failed to meet her burden under Illinois law to establish that her fall was caused by an unnatural accumulation of snow and ice. Plaintiff relied on photographs taken a day after the accident which she claimed satisfied her burden under Illinois law. Our attorneys successfully argued the photographs, paired with plaintiff’s testimony that she assumed the ice was caused by the thawing of a snow pile 12 to 15 feet away, was insufficient to create a prima facie case against our client. In an oral ruling, the Judge granted summary judgment in our client’s favor.

Scott focuses his legal practice on representing manufacturers, distributors and retailers in product liability cases with an emphasis on cases involving the packaging, material handling and food industries. Scott’s representative clients also include owners, developers, general contractors and sub-contractors. He has extensive litigation experience with toxic tort and construction injury, construction defect and premises liability cases, as well as defending clients involved in trucking and commercial vehicle litigation.

Phil focuses on defense litigation in construction negligence, personal injury, toxic tort and wrongful death claims. He also represents clients in corporate defense, professional liability and medical malpractice claims.