TRIALCOURTDECISIONS
020
CASES OF NOTE
TRIAL COURT
DECISIONS
Ruth and Don Hall v. Black Angus
Steakhouse
March 13, 2014
Maricopa County Superior Court
Mark Zukowski
After a 4-day jury trial before Maricopa County Superior Court
Judge Rea, a unanimous verdict was reached in favor of the
Plaintiffs, Ruth and Don Hall, in an admitted liability case. JSH
Partner Mark Zukowski, who represented Black Angus Steakhouse, successfully persuaded the jury to award much lower
damages than those sought by Plaintiffs.
Ruth Hall was a patron at Black Angus Steakhouse when a
table leaf unexpectedly released and struck her in the right
knee. Immediately after this incident, Ruth Hall complained of
severe pain and swelling in her knee and sought emergency
medical treatment. She was later diagnosed with a torn medial
meniscus in her right knee. During trial, Mrs. Hall testified she
could not afford health insurance and therefore had to wait
14 months until she qualified for Medicare to have her knee
surgery.
During the 14 months Mrs. Hall waited for surgery, she claimed
she was in severe and incapacitating pain and could not walk.
She claimed she could not take pain medications (to which
she was allergic), and that she became a prisoner in her home,
where she fell 30 times during t H M[ ˈ\