SKETCHES OF COURT: Plaintiff granted settlement for slip and fall at Starrett City
Court sketch by Alba Acevedo
In this courtroom sketch, Hon. Loren Baily-Schiffman listens as attorney Tanya Branch (standing), of the law firm Brody & Branch, conducts a cross-examination of the plaintiff in the premises liability trial Sylvia Charles v. Starrett City. Court Officer Denise Kean displays an evidentiary photograph of an area of the property. At issue was the determination of liability.
Charles was an 84-year-old resident of the Starrett City apartment complex in January 2014, when she claims that she was seriously injured in a fall while traversing a walkway. Branch contended that the accident occurred during a freezing rainfall. Charles testified that she felt ice beneath her while on the ground.
Charles was represented by Lora Gleicher (standing at right), of the law firm Silbowitz, Garafola, Silbowitz, Schatz & Frederick. Gleicher sought to implicate the complex as negligent in their maintenance of the area, and alleged that her client fell on thick ice. Large snowstorm conditions had preceded the incident two days earlier. Gleicher maintained that there was a break from the freezing rain at the time of her client’s accident.
The jury returned a liability verdict that wholly faulted the defendant for negligence. The trial was to resume for the damages phase with a new jury, but the case was resolved before opening statements with a settlement for an undisclosed amount. Court reporter Nancy Messano recorded the proceedings in the trial that concluded last week in Kings County Civil Term.
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