Chip, a 50-year-old male, slipped and fell on a ramp outside an apartment complex in downtown L.A.

At the time of the fall, the owner/manager was power washing the front of the building and did not put out wet floor signs. The ramp was slippery when wet, and Chip had no way to anticipate the danger.

Defendant acknowledged some liability but asked the jury to assign blame to Chip because he was wearing Crocs, which they argued were unsafe footwear, and claimed Chip wasn’t paying enough attention.

Chip suffered a pilon fracture of his left ankle, requiring an extensive open reduction internal fixation procedure. He later developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Defendant argued Chip would only need an ankle fusion costing about $65,000.

The jury awarded $2,920,000 gross, reduced by 20% for Chip’s comparative negligence — a net award of $2,336,000.

Chip Brown vs. ICO Development, L.A. Superior Court Case No. 22STCV09464 (June 12, 2025) – Jury Verdict

PRO TIPS

• CRPS is often missed in PI cases.
• CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) is a chronic pain condition, usually affecting a limb after injury or trauma. It features severe burning pain, swelling, skin/temperature changes, and motor issues — often far out of proportion to the original injury.
• Jurors used to be skeptical of “chronic pain” in PI cases, but science and consensus are changing. Certain injuries can lead to a lifetime of pain.
• If you believe your patient shows signs of CRPS, get an evaluation from a CRPS specialist.
• An accurate CRPS diagnosis dramatically increases PI values.
• Contact us if you need a referral.

In the last 60 days, Uber Technologies pulled a fast one.

They secured a major change to California’s insurance law. Instead of providing standard Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage for Uber passengers—as most common carriers are required to—they can now offer only $60,000 in coverage per passenger (down from the usual $1,000,000 UM/UIM coverage).

This special, behind-closed-doors deal dramatically improves Uber’s financial outlook — at the expense of passenger protection. Governor Gavin Newsom signed this bill, SB 371, into law on October 3, 2025.

Thank you, Governor Newsom.