$310,000 Premises Liability

This client was simply walking along a sidewalk when a heavy steel gate suddenly came off its tracks, knocked her to the ground, and pinned her there. The gate weighed several hundred pounds, while our client weighed barely 98. She was injured and deeply shaken, but fortunately, she suffered no broken bones or permanent injuries. Although her medical bills totaled $222,000, the homeowner’s insurance company made an offer of only $20,000. Even after negotiations, they stuck firm at $25,000. We fought for this client and achieved an award of about 12X their final offer–$300,000. Unfortunately, her medical bills would have left her with nothing, after attorneys fee. As expected, when her health insurance company found out about our success at arbitration, it immediately demanded repayment. It took extensive negotiation and persistence, but we reduced the insurer’s payout to just $3,100. This case is a strong example of how we fight to maximize our clients’ net recovery—by every means possible.