Florida Attorney Prevails for Grocery Store Client in Slip and Fall Suit

Tampa Attorney Katherine L. Sloan recently obtained summary judgment in a Marion County Circuit Court liability case involving a slip and fall incident that occurred at our client’s grocery store.

On the day of the alleged incident, Plaintiff claimed he was pushing a “heavy” restroom door open in our client’s store when he stepped backward into a water substance on the floor, causing him to fall and sustain a broken hip. Plaintiff was a daily visitor of our client’s grocery store where he routinely used the men’s restroom to bathe. Prior to the incident at our client’s store, he had a stroke which left him with left-side physical impairments, so he used a motorized cart for mobility. During Plaintiff’s deposition, he admitted that he stood up from the motorized cart and relied on his own feet to move toward the restroom door. He also admitted that he saw the water substance on the floor as he approached the restroom door.

Plaintiff’s testimony included his statement that there was a urinal that was leaking inside the men’s restroom for “weeks” prior to the slip and fall incident. There was also testimony provided by a friend of Plaintiff who stated that he had entered the store after the slip and fall occurred, and saw the water substance on the floor both outside and inside the men’s restroom.

Litchfield Cavo Attorney Katherine Sloan filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on the basis that our client had no actual or constructive knowledge of the alleged water substance on the floor. Our attorney argued that the additional testimony provided by Plaintiff’s friend could not establish how long the water substance was on the floor as he entered the store only after the slip and fall incident took place. Katherine Sloan further argued that Plaintiff’s claim about a previously leaking urinal could not establish constructive notice as he admitted he never entered the restroom on the date of the slip and fall, and therefore could not identify the source of the water substance.

In August 2025, the Court agreed with our attorney’s arguments and granted our Motion, entering summary judgment in favor of our client.

Katherine focuses her practice on general liability matters, primarily in the area of premises liability. She has experience handling first- and third-party insurance defense claims, insurance coverage matters and breach of contract issues, as well as commercial disputes, trucking and transportation matters, and personal injury and wrongful death cases.