$275,000 Settlement for Trip and Fall at a Restaurant

A 74-year-old woman tripped and fell over a steel cable used to secure rocking chairs at a specialty restaurant. The restaurant had a store which sold various items, including rocking chairs, which were placed in a row against a wall on the restaurant’s open porch. The woman, who had just eaten at the restaurant, was interested in purchasing a rocking chair, and stepped next to the chair to view the price tag. Unfortunately, she did not see the wire cable attached below the row of chairs, which was used to prevent theft, and she tripped, fell and broke her hip. The store claimed the cable was in the open and obvious, and necessary to prevent theft. There were no signs or warnings of the cable’s presence. The case settled just prior to trial.