$133,000 (2001) Slip and Fall. Failure to clean up or warn business
visitor about a known spill of an entire 55 gallon drum of clear,
extra-virgin olive oil that coated a polished industrial warehouse
floor. The victim worked for a paper company delivering paper to
industrial customers. The victim had just delivered the paper to a
regular industrial customer.
As part of his duties, the victim was required to obtain a
signature of the manager of the industrial company acknowledging
receipt of the paper. (All deliveries of all products to the industrial
company followed this same procedure). While walking through the
warehouse straight to the manager’s office (where he had a right to be)
in an effort to obtain a signature, the victim slipped and fell.
An investigation revealed that the industrial company had spilled a
55 gallon drum of clear, extra virgin olive oil on its polished
warehouse floor. The industrial company was aware of the spill, and had
cleaned up part of the spill, but much of the spill remained untouched.
The oil made an extremely thin, slippery coating over the warehouse
floor which was practically invisible. The industrial company did not
properly clean up the spill or warn the victim of the hazard. The
insurance company of the industrial company blamed the victim and
denied responsibility for the accident.
