Jacksonville Lawyer wins a $1M Slip and Fall Suit

A bright lawyer named Mitch Stone, successfully tried a $1M law suit against Walmart Superstores. Stone protected the rights of a young lady named Valerie Dantzler, who slipped and fell on a puddle in a Jacksonville Walmart. The incident occurred in 2005, but it was not until 2010 that Stone brought on the charges against the retail conglomerate.  After careful deliberation, the jury reached a consensus, placing 80% of the blame on Walmart and 20% on Dantzler. The court awarded $800,000 to Dantzler for past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, and past and future pain and suffering damages.

Slip and fall suits of this magnitude are far from common. Large superstores like Walmart are always apprehensive to settle, fearing they will set a precedent of paying out slip and fall victims. Of course, this trend could attract scam artists looking to make a quick buck. However, Valerie Dantzler was clearly a victim, and Walmart was flagrantly in violation of negligence.

In 2005, Dantzler walked into a Walmart, recently recovering from a painful shoulder surgery. She slipped on a puddle, and suffered irreparable nerve damage to her shoulder as a result. Walmart claimed that regular safety sweeps had occurred that day. However, they destroyed the security tapes and failed to investigate the Dantzler claim after her slip happened.

Dantzler was unable to resume her duties as a bank teller and return to the office as a result of the injury. As a result, she was forced to fight depression, courageously. Lost wages can be debilitating and victims of negligence can feel the accident was in some way their fault. Thankfully good lawyers like Stone were there to remedy injustice. Stone commented, “I think the jury just realized it was just wrong.” Walmart responded that they were considering a post-trial appeal. This trial is dubious at best.