$615,000 Arbitration Award for a 56 Year Old Woman Who Fell at a Car Wash

On December 17, 2009, the plaintiff, who was then 53 years of age, was a patron at a car wash in Meriden, Connecticut. As the plaintiff was walking into the closed canopy area of the car wash to find the attendant, she stepped onto a metal plate which suddenly dropped, causing her to fall into a pit and sustain serious injuries including a tibial plateau fracture and proximal fibula fracture of the right leg. As a result of the injury to her right leg, the plaintiff was caused to undergo surgery on her right leg, specifically an open reduction and an internal fixation of the right bicondylar tibial plateau fracture.

On September 16, 2010, the plaintiff was at work and stepped from her work van onto the pavement when her right knee gave out as a result of the injury to her right leg and the surgery that was performed on her right leg, causing her to fall to the ground and sustain a displaced subcapital fracture of the right femur. As a result of the fracture of her right femur, the plaintiff had to undergo hip replacement surgery on her right hip.

Suit was instituted against the owner of the car wash in New Haven Superior Court. Prior to jury selection, the parties agreed to proceed to a binding arbitration before a panel of three arbitrators. Following a hearing before the arbitrators, the arbitrators awarded the plaintiff the sum of $615,000 in this case.