Cholod v. United Building Maintenance
Nov 10, 2015OUTCOME: Trial verdict: $310,123.00
Pltf F-40 was a music teacher at Hitch Elementary School, 5625 N. McVicker Ave., Chicago. On March 8, 2013, she volunteered to make snacks for children attending an after-school event. While she was wo ... rking in the teachers' lounge, preparing individual bags of popcorn with fellow staff members, a janitor employed by deft United Building Maintenance cleaned and mopped the women's bathroom inside the lounge. Pltf entered the bathroom shortly thereafter, causing her to slip and fall on the wet floor. Pltf sustained left knee injuries consisting of a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament, and a torn lateral meniscus, requiring arthroscopic lateral meniscectomy and ACL debridement; permanency of the unrepaired ACL tear was also claimed ($54,657 medical expenses, $39,925 LT 22 weeks). Pltf admitted she was aware the male janitor was in the lounge because she heard him knock on the bathroom door to make sure no one was inside before he entered, but contended she did not see him come in with a mop or know that he mopped the bathroom floor. Pltf further maintained the janitor failed to post any "wet floor" warning signs. The defense argued the janitor did post a "wet floor" sign and pltf was contributorily negligent because she was aware of the janitor's presence and therefore she knew or should have known the floor was recently mopped. The defense also disputed the nature and extent of her injuries. Defense offered $150,000.00
