Sharon relies on a motorized scooter for getting around. She and her son were visiting New Orleans and staying at a hotel they had researched and thought was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While entering the hotel's lobby through its main entrance, Sharon's scooter flipped over, fracturing her hip and requiring emergency surgery. She stayed in the hospital for a month rehabbing before she was able to return home. Even then, she relied on home health assistance for another year. Sharon incurred more than $200,000 in medical bills
For this premises liability case, we retained an engineering expert to inspect the hotel ramp. We visited the accident site to study the cause of Sharon's accident. Our investigation revealed that the hotel ramp leading to the lobby was made up of over 70 individual pieces of flagstone. Each small piece had its own shape and slope, making the surface uneven. This caused Sharon's scooter to tip over when she turned into the hotel's lobby.
During Sharon's case, we traveled to three states taking depositions of hotel employees, Sharon's doctors, and the hotel's expert engineers. We relied on our own experts, not only in the field of engineering, but also in orthopedics and economics to prove Sharon's case and calculate her damages.
In preparation for trial, we presented Sharon's case to mock juries and focus groups using Legal Focus, LLC. Through this process, we were able to better understand the most important elements of Sharon's case and prepare for a jury trial.
Prior to trial, the hotel's insurance company agreed to settle Sharon's case for $800,000.
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Contact us today at (985) 590-6182 for a free and confidential consultation from our office located in Covington and serving all areas of the Northshore including St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parish (Covington, Mandeville, Madisonville, Slidell, Hammond) and the New Orleans metro!