When a Simple Fall Becomes a Complex Case: Uncovering the Truth in a Fatal Premises Liability Claim
A California supermarket accident revealed the importance of thorough investigation and expert collaboration in premises liability cases.
The Incident That Changed Everything
On a December afternoon in Fontana, California, our client was doing something millions of people do every day—shopping for groceries. While browsing the frozen foods section at a local supermarket, she tripped over an exposed metal bracket protruding from the floor near a freezer bunker. The fall seemed straightforward at first: a customer trips on a hazard, sustains injuries, and the store is held accountable.
But what appeared to be a routine premises liability case would evolve into something far more complex.
Understanding the Complexity
The case presented significant challenges from the outset. While our client had indeed fallen and suffered injuries, the medical picture became increasingly complicated in the months that followed. She developed progressive neurological deterioration, ultimately requiring 24-hour care for the final 14 months of her life before passing away approximately 32 months after the fall.
The critical question we needed to answer was: Could a fall in a supermarket truly cause such devastating, progressive decline?
At Adamson Ahdoot, we don’t walk away from difficult questions. We investigate them.
Building the Foundation: Proving Negligence
Before we could address the complex medical causation issues, we needed to establish what happened and why. Our investigation revealed critical facts about the supermarket’s negligence:
The metal bracket our client tripped over was designed to protect the freezer bunker from forklift damage. These brackets typically have protective plastic covers to prevent exactly what happened to our client. Through discovery, we learned that store employees had removed the protective cover prior to the accident and failed to replace it—a fact the Defendant ultimately admitted.
Perhaps most telling was what we discovered about the store’s safety procedures that day. The supermarket conducted safety inspections that morning and again at 2:00 p.m.—just 39 minutes before our client’s fall. Despite these inspections, no one noticed the exposed metal bracket. No warning devices were placed around the hazard. No corrective action was taken.
During depositions, the store manager testified that he personally would have removed both the cover and the bracket if he had seen it, recognizing that an exposed bracket posed an unacceptable safety risk. Yet the company had no written policy requiring this procedure. The Defendant admitted that surveillance video captured the incident, that our client tripped over the exposed bracket, and that no warnings were present.
The negligence was clear. But the real challenge lay ahead.
The Medical Mystery: Connecting Fall to Fatal Decline
What made this case particularly complex was our client’s medical trajectory. Following the fall, she suffered a traumatic brain injury and began experiencing progressive neurological symptoms: central cord syndrome, paralysis, and respiratory compromise. She underwent spinal surgery in June 2022 and required round-the-clock care.
The Defendant’s position was predictable: they disputed that the fall caused the severe neurological decline and eventual death. Without establishing this causal connection, even with clear negligence, our client’s family would not receive the justice they deserved.
This is where many firms would have struggled or given up entirely. We knew we needed answers that only the most qualified experts could provide.
Bringing in World-Class Expertise
In cases involving complex medical causation, the quality of your expert witnesses can make or break your claim. We don’t simply retain experts—we seek out the best minds in their respective fields, professionals whose expertise and credibility are beyond question.
For this case, we retained Dr. Bennet Omalu, a renowned forensic pathologist and neuropathologist, perhaps best known for his groundbreaking discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in NFL players. Dr. Omalu performed the autopsy on our client and his findings would prove crucial to understanding what happened.
Dr. Omalu’s conclusion was both medically sophisticated and tragically clear: the traumatic brain injury from the fall had “ignited” a previously asymptomatic genetic condition known as Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2. Our client carried this genetic condition her entire life without symptoms. Under normal circumstances, she likely would have lived her entire life without ever knowing she had it, or if symptoms eventually appeared, the typical disease progression would span 21-25 years.
Instead, the trauma from her fall triggered the condition, causing rapid neurological decline over just 32 months. The fall didn’t just injure our client—it fundamentally altered the course of a genetic condition that would have otherwise remained dormant or progressed far more slowly.
This medical causation theory required sophisticated analysis and unimpeachable expertise. Dr. Omalu provided both.
Understanding the Full Impact
To fully advocate for our client and her family, we needed to understand the complete scope of damages. This meant projecting what her care needs would have been had she survived, as well as calculating the economic losses the family sustained.
We worked with Dr. David Fish, Director of Physiatry and Interventional Pain Management at the UCLA Pain Center, who developed a comprehensive life care plan. We also retained Dr. Peter Formuzis, an economist, to analyze the economic losses including nursing care, loss of household services, and lost income. These projections painted a clear picture of the magnitude of harm caused by the supermarket’s negligence.
Additionally, we consulted with Alex Balian, a retail safety expert with over 65 years of experience, who concluded that the supermarket had failed to meet industry safety standards.
Our investigation also documented our client’s medical expenses and the immense suffering she endured during those final 14 months, when she required constant care and could no longer live independently.
Resolution Through Mediation
After extensive discovery, expert depositions, and preparation for trial scheduled for June 2025, the case proceeded to mediation in August 2025.
The case was resolved through a substantial settlement that provided compensation for both the wrongful death claim filed by our client’s spouse and the survival action brought by her estate. The resolution reflected the strength of our case, the quality of our expert witnesses, and the clear evidence of negligence.
Why This Case Matters
This case represents everything we believe about effective legal advocacy. When faced with challenges and uncertainties, we saw a family that deserved answers and a client whose tragedy demanded thorough investigation.
We understood that premises liability cases aren’t always straightforward. Sometimes the injuries that flow from a property owner’s negligence reveal themselves in unexpected ways. Sometimes the causal connection between a fall and a devastating outcome requires world-class medical expertise to establish. And sometimes justice requires turning over every stone, consulting with the best experts available, and refusing to accept surface-level explanations.
The supermarket’s employees removed a safety device and failed to replace it. They conducted two safety inspections and missed an obvious hazard. They had no written policy to ensure exposed metal brackets would be removed or repaired. These failures cost our client her life, robbed her family of precious years together, and left a spouse without a partner.
When families come to us with complex cases, they’re not just looking for attorneys willing to take their case. They’re looking for a team committed to uncovering the truth, no matter how complex the investigation becomes.
Your Case Deserves Thorough Investigation
At Adamson Ahdoot, we handle premises liability cases throughout California, from Los Angeles to San Bernardino and beyond. We understand that slip and fall cases can involve far more complexity than they initially appear, and we’re committed to conducting the thorough investigation your case deserves.
If you or a loved one has been injured on someone else’s property, we want to hear your story. Some of our most meaningful cases are those that require deep investigation to uncover the full truth of what happened and why.
Every case begins with one question: What really happened? We don’t stop investigating until we have the answer.
The case resolved with a confidential settlement in August 2025. This article presents the case in general terms consistent with settlement agreement provisions and California Rules of Professional Conduct. No confidential settlement terms are disclosed.
About Adamson Ahdoot LLP
Adamson Ahdoot LLP is a personal injury law firm based in Los Angeles, serving clients throughout California. Our attorneys are committed to thorough investigation, expert collaboration, and tireless advocacy for injury victims and their families.
Contact us for a free consultation:
Phone: (310) 888-0024
Website: aa.law
Address: 1122 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035