An Ohio woman who slipped and fell on a “wet floor” sign at Jack Casino in Cincinnati was given $3 million last week by a Hamilton County jury.
Lynda Sadowski had ventured towards the sign in September 2016, which had been knocked over by a customer earlier in the day. Unaware it was on the ground, she tripped, fell and suffered injuries as a result.
A Hamilton County jury found that Jack Casino failed to “use ordinary care” and failed to maintain a safe environment, resulting in Sadowski’s injury, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Her attorney, Matt Nakajima, said a Jack Casino employee had walked around the sign without picking it up just moments before her injury.
“The casino had no safety policies in place for floor inspection or fall prevention and had no criticism of the employee’s failure to pick up the trip hazard even though its own internal documents found her at fault,” Nakajima said. “The casino’s callous disregard for their customers’ safety was on full display throughout the trial.”
Sadowski had a broken knee cap, which required surgery to insert metal hardware in her knee. She now has arthritis where the fracture occurred and she says her mobility has worsened. Nakajima added a second surgery on her knee may be necessary.
Jack Casino argued in court that the “wet floor” sign was visible and Sadowski had simply failed to see it. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the attorney for the casino said her injuries “resulted merely from [her] failure to pay attention to her surroundings.”