An Ohio woman recently won a $3 million jury verdict in her slip and fall lawsuit against a casino that allegedly failed to keep their business safe.

An eight member jury in Ohio state court determined that Jack Cincinnati Casino LLC had failed to keep their customers safe, resulting in plaintiff Lynda Lee S. slipping on the premises and breaking her kneecap.

The Jack Cincinnati Casino is reportedly a 400,000 square foot space with a massive employee base of 1,000 workers. The casino reportedly sees 50,000 customers each week. However, despite the business’ large size, the casino allegedly has no written procedures for floor inspection and does not have a response plan for trip and fall hazards.

In September 2016, Lynda Lee reportedly fell over a “wet floor” sign that had collapsed and was lying flat on the floor. As a result of her fall, she reportedly suffered from a displaced knee fracture that required surgery to fix.

After her surgery, Lynda Lee was reportedly confined to bed and needed a wheelchair to get around for a month. Since then, she has reportedly had to deal with other, ongoing medical issues due to complications that have resulted in reduced mobility.

Linda Lee, like other personal injury victims,  filed her slip and fall lawsuit in an attempt to recover compensation for her injuries and limited mobility.

As evidence of Jack Cincinnati Casino’s alleged negligence, the jury reportedly saw video surveillance from the casino. In the video, two customers walked into the sign on the floor within 90 seconds of Linda Lee falling and injuring her kneecap. Based on this video evidence, the jury determined that the casino was 100 percent at fault for the incident.

“We got a jury that really got it. We were lucky,” Lynda Lee’s attorney told Law360 over the phone. “They saw the video and heard the testimony and came to a very fair result.”

Jack Entertainment LLC, parent company for the casino, reportedly believes that the award is out of line.

“We believe the award is unwarranted based on the facts of the case,” said Senior Vice President of Government Relations Dan Reinhard said in a statement. “We are reviewing the decision and evaluating all options with our insurance carrier.”

Accident Accountability

Businesses can be held accountable for slip and fall accidents because they are expected to keep their premises safe and ensure that consumers do not get hurt due to the company’s negligence. Companies may be able to argue out of liability by claiming lack of negligence or by arguing that the consumer was at fault, but if a court deems that they are responsible they will likely have to compensate injured customers.

Negligence is behind many lawsuits, including truck driver accidents and medical malpractice claims.

Slip and fall lawsuits can also be filed by workers who slip and fall while on the job. According to the National Safety Council, falls are the third leading cause of unintentional injury related deaths with 34,673 people dying in their homes and at work due to falls in 2016.

The Casino Slip and Fall Lawsuit is Case No. A-1800226 in the Court of Common Pleas, Civil Division, Hamilton County, Ohio.