About · Notable Verdicts & Settlements
What slip-and-fall
liability really costs.
These are publicly reported slip-and-fall verdicts and settlements from around the country — not our cases, but a sobering illustration of what an unmanaged floor can cost a business.
The matters below are third-party cases reported by the news and legal sources cited with each. They are provided for general illustration of premises-liability exposure — they are not Walkway Management’s cases, not a prediction of any outcome, and not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about any specific situation.
Walmart, Phenix City AL. Henry Walker was awarded $7.5 million by a Russell County jury after he fell and broke his hip reaching for a watermelon in 2015 — $2.5M compensatory and $5M punitive, the court finding Walmart negligent in maintaining a safe environment and failing to warn. Source: AL News.
Reported verdicts & settlements
| Amount | Matter | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $13 million | Lowe’s (Las Vegas) — Kelly Hendrickson fell on a slippery substance; counsel showed the store knew standing water was a danger, with 33 prior similar accidents. | Review Journal |
| $12.2 million | Gas-station convenience store — a leaking awning caused a puddle; the fall caused a brain injury and ongoing seizures, ending the plaintiff’s career. | Daily Press |
| $10 million | Walmart (Greeley CO) — Holly Averyt slipped on grease outside the store; a $15M award was reduced to $10M under state caps. | Denver Post |
| $2.1 million | Target — a carelessly mopped floor left residual moisture outside the marked hazard zone after a soda spill. | VerdictSearch |
| $525,000 | Walmart (Antioch TN), Corley v. Wal-Mart Stores East — store found 90% responsible; video showed staff cleaning the area afterward. | Court record |
| $265,000 | An 88-year-old fractured a hip on rainwater tracked into a store that lacked adequate mats — among the highest such awards in Connecticut for that age group. | Settlement |
| $160,665 | Restaurant — a patron slipped on liquid near the bar service area; no warning signs posted. | Verdict |
| $125,000 | A 53-year-old computer operator fractured an ankle slipping in a puddle on a premises patio during a lunch break. | Settlement |
What these cases have in common
Read enough of these and a pattern emerges: a known or knowable hazard, an inadequate response, and missing documentation. Notice and response decide these cases — and both are exactly what a measured, documented floor-safety program is built to establish. A defendant who can show a record of diligence walks into that courtroom in a very different position.
Further reading
Sabatini & Associates — successful cases · Thistle Law — top slip-and-fall settlements · Adam S. Kutner — largest slip-and-fall settlements · Floored! by Russell J. Kendzior · industry averages for slip-and-fall settlement amounts.