$11M Settlement Reached in Disputed Premises Liability Trip-and-Fall Case
When liability is heavily disputed and injuries require extensive medical treatment, telling the complete story of a case is critical. MotionLit helps trial attorneys visually establish the mechanics of an incident, connect those mechanics to the resulting injuries, and illustrate the progression of surgical treatment. Through trial-ready Accident Reconstruction, Mechanism of Injury, and Surgical Animations, attorneys can bring complex liability and damages evidence to life—helping opposing counsel, insurance decision-makers, and jurors understand what’s truly at stake.
Complex injury cases often involve more than proving that an incident occurred. Attorneys also need to clearly show how the event caused the injury, what the body experienced during the incident, and why the medical treatment that followed became necessary. MotionLit’s Accident Reconstruction, Mechanism of Injury, and Surgical Animations help transform surveillance footage, testimony, medical records, and operative reports into visual presentations that make those connections easier to understand.
In this premises liability case, attorneys from Effres & Effres—Steven Effres, Justin Effres and Evan Effres—teamed up with Nick Rowley, founder of Trial Lawyers for Justice, to represent a 67-year-old woman seriously injured in a parking-lot fall. With five defendants and four defense firms involved, the legal team faced a heavily disputed case involving both liability and significant damages.
The woman was walking from a surgery center toward her car when her foot caught on a concrete wheel stop as she stepped down from a curb, causing her to fall and shatter her dominant arm. According to her attorneys, she had been directed where to park and walk and did not know the obstruction was there. Defense experts, however, argued that she was distracted by her cellphone and failed to notice what they characterized as an open and obvious condition.
MotionLit developed medical animations illustrating the plaintiff’s injuries and the extensive surgical treatment that followed. These visuals helped communicate the severity of the injuries, the complexity of the procedures, and the progression of medical care throughout the case.
To help explain how the fall occurred, MotionLit created an Accident Reconstruction Animation informed by surveillance footage from the scene and witness testimony. The animation recreated the mechanics of the incident while incorporating Mechanism of Injury visuals showing the internal anatomical structures affected during the fall. This allowed the attorneys to visually connect the movement of the incident with the injuries that followed.
The plaintiff’s injuries ultimately led to an extensive surgical history, including five separate elbow procedures and a rare total elbow replacement. MotionLit created Surgical Animations for all five surgeries, which became an important part of the attorneys’ case presentation and supported expert witness testimony. Rather than relying on medical records or terminology alone, the animations showed what the plaintiff underwent and helped illustrate the progression of her treatment and the full extent of the harm.
As trial approached, the MotionLit visuals were provided to the defense and passed along to insurance decision-makers, helping them better understand what happened, the extent of the plaintiff’s injuries, and the potential exposure at trial. The case ultimately resolved for $11 million.
“MotionLit absolutely added value to this case and helped us achieve the $11 million settlement,” Nick Rowley said.
For cases involving disputed liability and complex medical treatment, MotionLit’s Accident Reconstruction, Mechanism of Injury, and Surgical Animations help attorneys connect the incident, the injury, and the treatment into one clear visual story—from mediation and settlement negotiations through trial.
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