Philadelphia partner Ryan Smith secured summary judgment for our client, a cleaning services company, in a premises liability matter arising from an alleged slip and fall at a SEPTA train station in Philadelphia. Plaintiff claimed that missing paint on steps created a dangerous condition that caused her fall and sought to impose liability on our client, which provided cleaning services at the location.
Ryan established that our client owed no duty with respect to the alleged condition, as its role was limited to cleaning services and did not include maintenance or reporting obligations. In addition, through strategic deposition testimony, the defense demonstrated a break in the causal chain by securing admissions from a SEPTA representative that any report of the condition would not have resulted in immediate remediation, as painting was already scheduled. Despite plaintiff’s reliance on a liability expert attempting to attribute fault to our client, the Court granted summary judgment, eliminating all claims against our client.
