Denver Premises Liability
Casting Light On a Dark Story
Father David was having dinner with his superior, Father Steven. As they were leaving the restaurant through a dark hallway, Father David climbed a set of stairs and turned to exit the building. At the same time, another patron was entering the building, and Father David stepped back on what he thought was a flat surface to let the patron in. But because the hallway and entryway were almost pitch dark, Father David fell headfirst down a long flight of dark stairs, landing hard on his left shoulder. Father David’s nightmare over the next two years included emergency room visits, failed surgeries, numerous doctor appointments and tests. He endured constant pain, lack of sleep, relentless pain in his neck, shoulder and arm, and he had to take several pain medications each day. The dark and unsafe stairway led to Father David’s injuries, but the building owner and its insurance company saw it differently. They said the hallway and entry actually were lit and it was Father David’s fault – even though Father Steven, in a sworn statement, said it wasn’t. Father David suffered injuries, medical treatment and other expenses well into six figures. After realizing Dianne Sawaya would force the owner to try to discredit Father David’s story in court, the insurer saw the error of its ways.
Settlement: Policy limits
