Office Building Safety Expert Comments on Dangerous Conditions in Building Atrium

This case involves a fall that occurred in the atrium at an office complex. The Plaintiff, a manager at a medium sized technology company with offices in the building, had entered the atrium on the way to the parking lot at the end of the day when he slipped on a large spill. The spill was known to be present in the lobby for some time before the accident. As a result of the accident, the Plaintiff broke his arm and had to undergo extensive orthopedic surgery. It was alleged that building management was negligent in allowing the spill to remain in the atrium for an extended period of time without clearly marking the spill or making efforts to clean the spill.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please discuss your background in office building management, supervision, maintenance.

2. What could have been done in this situation to prevent such an accident from occurring?

Expert Witness Response E-001096

I have inspected many office buildings through the commercial building inspection services offered by my company. I am a Certified Walkway Auditor Safety Specialist under the National Floor Safety Institute. I often times am called upon to opine as to the safety and slip resistance of a floor or walking surface. I have been trained in the identification of flooring and potential hazards and defects, including the use of a tribometer to measure the coefficient of friction, both wet and dry. As my training and experience has led me to believe, the management of the building had a duty to ensure that a safe walking surface was provided to all building occupants and visitors. In this particular case, the spill should have been cleaned up within a reasonable amount of time after it was observed.