This was the Number 1 Slip & Fall Verdict in the United States in the year 2022. It is considered one of the largest verdicts – if not the largest – on a pure spinal cord stimulator case. Our client walked into a McDonald’s for breakfast and left with excruciating low back pain after slipping and falling on grease that was left on the floor by an employee. This case was hard fought for years, with many challenges. The defense claimed that it had no video of the incident because the store turned off cameras two days before the incident for a “construction project”. (There was no construction project at the time of the incident.). The defense also took to position that our client spilled orange juice and caused his own fall (insinuating he staged the entire thing). It took years of litigation and many depositions before we uncovered the truth – that a maintenance worker caused the incident but was pressured to lie and keep quiet. While the defense finally admitted liability at trial, our client’s injury claims remained hotly contested. Our client was 28 years old at the time of the incident and had a history of two prior lumbar spine surgeries before the fall at McDonald’s. Unsurprisingly, the defense blamed our client’s prior work injury and prior two spine surgeries as the reason for his complaints after the slip and fall. At trial, we presented evidence that the fall at McDonald’s further injured our client’s already vulnerable and damaged spine, resulting in severe permanent injuries and requiring the placement of a spinal cord stimulator device to control his pain. Prior to trial, the defense turned down our settlement demand of $2 million, and offered $300,000 to resolve the case. At trial, our team obtained a massive jury verdict in Santa Monica – nearly $20 million dollars after inclusion of interest and costs.
