Facts

On Dec. 19, 2005, plaintiff Jila Soofer, age 63, slipped and fell on defendant's parking lot surface when walking from the parking attendant booth to the entrance of the building. The parking lot had been hosed down by the defendant's gardener earlier that morning.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
The plaintiff contended that the defendant was negligent for not placing proper warning signs or cones and for maintaining a dangerous condition during business hours.

DEFENDANT'S CONTENTIONS:
The defendant contended that warning signs were present that there was an open and obvious wet surface and that plaintiff was negligent.

Settlement Discussions

The defendant denied liability and made no offers of settlement prior to the binding arbitration.

Damages

The issues of injuries and damages were not in dispute. The only issue litigated was liability.

Result

The arbitrator found in favor of plaintiff and against defendant. The plaintiff was found to be 25 percent comparatively negligent. The plaintiff and defendant agreed to a high/low of 0 to $190,000. Therefore, the plaintiff received $142,500 net award.

Other Information

Insurer: State Farm for defendant. FILING DATE: Sept. 6, 2006.