Our law firm was not involved in the case described.
A man sued King County (Metro) to recover damages for severe injuries that he sustained after slipping while exiting a county operated bus on a rainy day. At trial he introduced evidence that yellow nosing strips, located at the edges of the stairs of Metro buses, become dangerously slippery when wet. At the conclusion of his case in chief, Metro moved for judgment as a matter of law based upon the lack of direct evidence that the man had stepped on a yellow nosing strip or that the strip was wet at the time of the incident. The trial court denied the motion, and the jury found that Metro’s negligence was the sole cause of the man’s injuries and found Metro liable for $1.3 million in damages.
Following the verdict, a juror testified that he had tested the slipperiness of a yellow nosing strip while exiting a Metro bus on the last day of trial. Although Metro knew that the court had provided bus passes to jurors for use during jury service, Metro moved for a new trial based on juror misconduct. The trial court denied the motion. The Court of Appeals agreed and upheld the verdict.[1]
Although this case ended well for the injured bus passenger, no two cases are exactly alike. Many factors can influence the outcome of a personal injury case. If you have questions about an injury claim you should consult an attorney.