Morrison Mahoney partner John Knight and associate Chris Groves obtained a defense verdict following a three-day trial in the Barnstable Superior Court. The plaintiff suffered a fractured right femur and fractured right ankle after slipping on ice in the parking lot outside of his condominium. He claimed that the defendants (property manager, property owner and snow removal company) negligently failed to clear snow and ice from the property following a storm.
John and Chris represented the snow removal company, and they argued that their client acted reasonably in the snow removal efforts that were taken to treat the property following a substantial storm. At trial, they introduced evidence reflecting substantial efforts that were taken by the defendant to treat the property, along with a video which the client took after the storm which showed that the parking lot was in good shape following the storm, to dispute claims that their client acted negligently.
During closing arguments, plaintiff counsel asked the jury to award $750,000.00 in damages. The jury returned a finding of no negligence after deliberating for 20 minutes.
