Florida Attorneys Prevail in Slip and Fall Case

Tampa attorneys A. Michael Perotti and Katherine L. Sloan obtained summary judgment at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, Florida, on behalf of our property management company client in a slip and fall case.

Plaintiff, a relative of our client’s tenant, claimed she slipped and fell while ascending our client’s external stairway. She attributed her fall to a collection of wet leaves, debris, and a handrail and step configuration that was not in compliance with building codes and safety standards. Plaintiff’s injuries consisted of a complex ankle fracture that required multiple corrective surgeries and resulted in lingering secondary complications. Subsequently, Plaintiff filed suit against our client and raised claims of failure to adequately maintain the premise and failure to correct the defective, non-compliant design of the stairs.

Michael and Katie first obtained a partial summary judgment as to the code compliance and design deficiency issues by contesting the expert’s testimony, then identified inconsistencies in Plaintiff’s testimony and evidence. After an evidentiary review and subsequent hearing, the court ruled in favor of our client on the remaining claim of inadequate maintenance. Prior to entry of final judgment, entered in October 2022, Plaintiff declined our proposal for settlement. As a result, our attorneys are now pursuing fees and costs.

Michael handles a range of matters including personal injury, wrongful death, commercial disputes and breach of contract, as well as first- and third-party insurance defense claims. His representative clients include private and governmental entities, individuals and insurance carriers.

Katherine represents clients in premises liability matters, trucking and transportation cases, breach of contract claims, and disability claims. She also handles general liability matters and has experience with first- and third-party insurance defense claims, as well as insurance coverage cases.