Successful Defense of Family-Owned Hardware Store in Trip-and-Fall Case

Porter Scott handled a premises liability claim against a family-owned hardware store, alleging a trip-and-fall caused by a floor crack. The firm filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, arguing the crack was a trivial, non-actionable defect; the case settled for a nominal amount before the hearing. The matter was handled through the strong collaboration of shareholders David Melton and David Norton, with support from associate Haley Loheit and the firm’s law clerks. Targeted motion practice and an assertive defense strategy produced a favorable outcome.