Yankwitt LLP Secures Unanimous Verdict in Premises Liability Case Through Video Evidence and Strategic Cross Examination

A Yankwitt LLP trial team led by George “Chip” Godfrey and Benjamin Allee secured a unanimous jury verdict on behalf of our casino client in a premises liability case. The case involved a plaintiff who alleged he suffered a head injury after tripping on a sign near an escalator when he returned to the casino from a cigarette break. The incident occurred just weeks after the casino reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic closure. His wife was also named as a plaintiff in the suit.

At trial, our team convinced the jury that the video evidence showed the plaintiff reaching over the escalator handrail to access hand sanitizer and, in the process, inadvertently straddling the handrail, which carried him up to the casino floor.

Our team utilized this compelling video footage as a cornerstone of our case, effectively undermining the plaintiff’s narrative. Furthermore, we used cross-examination to expose significant weaknesses in the testimony of the plaintiffs and their expert witnesses, pointing out inconsistencies and flaws in their accounts of the incident.

Ultimately, in just minutes, the jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the defense, affirming that the casino was not liable for the plaintiff’s alleged injuries.