The plaintiff, Louse Hockman, was awarded nearly $1 million after severely breaking her ankle.
A woman was awarded about $1 million after a slip and fall at a Sayreville sub shop. NEW BRUNSWICK -- A Middlesex County jury issued a $1.28 million verdict after a woman slipped and fell at a Sayreville sub shop, her lawyer said.
The 72-year-old plaintiff was leaving the Tastee sandwich shop in Sayreville when she slipped at the top of the stairs and fell to the ground. Her feet flew out from under her, her head hit the step and she broke her right ankle, according to Nicholas Leonardis, her attorney.
"The jury didn't buy the defendants' position that there was nothing wrong" with the floor in the sub shop, Leonardis said.
After a four-day trial before Superior Court Judge Andrea Carter, the jury said that the sub shop -- operated by Burrellys LLC -- was 80 percent liable for the accident. Louise Hockman, the plaintiff, was 20 percent responsible. Because of that, her net award will be just shy of $1 million.
The jury found Hockman's account credible, her attorney said.
"It gave her validation -- I'm happy for her," said Leonardis, of the Stathis & Leonardis firm in Edison.
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The trial revolved around whether or not the woman slipped on a liquid on the floor, and whether the restaurant owners exercised due care in keeping the building safe, Leonardis said.
Hockman testified that when she fell, she reached down to her ankle and found a wet spot on her pant leg. Lawyers for the Burrellys said she might have touched her bleeding head first, and that might explain why her pant leg was wet. But Hockman's expert witnesses said that she must have fallen on a foreign substance -- perhaps a drink spilled from the vending machine, or sandwich oil.
The verdict includes $80,000 for medical bills and the balance for pain and suffering, Leonardis said.
A lawyer for the defendant did not respond to requests for comment. The sub shop in Sayreville is unrelated to the shops in Edison and Franklin Park by the same name. A phone number for the Pulaski Avenue eatery was not in service.
It is possible, Leonardis said, that the case will be appealed.
Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.