John Basilone Wins Another Big Personal Injury Case

This happened in a recent jury trial with personal injury attorney John Basilone representing our client in a slip and fall accident.

The two defendants were the owner and management company of a 200-unit apartment complex in Virginia Beach. The injury occurred during the aftermath of a February, 2015 snowstorm. The evidence established that the management company did little to clear snow and ice from the sidewalks and parking lots for three days following the end of the storm, instead relying pretty much on the weather to warm up to solve the problem. Nature didn’t cooperate and the whole place remained frozen three days later, when John’s client needed to walk outside to the mailbox to send out her bill payments. She slipped and fell, suffering a severe ankle fracture, with her foot nearly broken off her leg. After open reduction surgery and months of treatment, she has never fully recovered from the injury. The damages included $54,000 in medical expenses, pain and suffering, scarring, and permanent impairment.

Mr. Basilone’s presentation of evidence included the time logs and testimony of the management folks, through which he was able to show that no one had even started shoveling or salting where the plaintiff lived more than three days after the storm had passed. The evidence also was clear that there had been no snow removal plan for the parking lots beyond waiting for it to melt when the weather warmed. Other evidence included aerial photos of the complex,which showed the overwhelming size of the property that two employees with shovels were tasked with clearing. Mr. Basilone  had illustrations drawn of our client’s  injury and her surgery. These illustrations proved to be highly effective in persuading the jury that the injuries were severe. Finally, Mr. Basilone presented the video deposition of the surgeon and the  testimony of our client and her children.

I was lucky enough to be sitting at counsel table with Mr. Basilone when he had his Paul Newman (“The Verdict”) moment. In his closing argument, he explained to the jury that the suit asked for $500,000 in compensation. The jurors went out, returned in three hours – and awarded the full amount.

This latest victory shows yet again why John Basilone is without a doubt one of the best personal injury attorneys in Virginia.