Kansas slip-and-fall case settles for over a million after worker’s injuries

Summary

• Settlement reached in Johnson County District Court
• Plaintiff suffered two lumbar fusion surgeries
• Plaintiff represented by Clifford & Savio Trial Attorneys
• Defendant represented by McCausland Barrett & Bartolos

A $1.7 million settlement was reached in a confidential premises liability case out of Johnson County District Court in Kansas.

The settlement was reached May 12, 2026, going back to a 2023 incident. The confidential defendant was the owner and property manager of Maple Hills Apartments, who hired the confidential plaintiff to perform maintenance work on washer and dryers at the complex. While there, the plaintiff was asked by an employee of the property management company to inspect a basement air-conditioning unit in one of the townhomes on the premises, accessible via a staircase to the basement. Upon stepping on the basement floor, the plaintiff slipped and fell due to wet paint.

Painters hired by the defendant had just painted the basement floor, which was not fully dry. The plaintiff was not aware of this. The defendants denied during discovery any knowledge that the painter was painting the basement floor that day. There were no signs or barricades preventing the plaintiff from entering the basement or indicating that the floor was still wet.

Due to the fall, the plaintiff had two lumbar fusion surgeries at different levels, one in December 2024 and another in December 2025. The case was settled at mediation shortly before the close of discovery.

The plaintiff was represented by Nick Savio and Matt Clifford of Clifford & Savio Trial Attorneys in Kansas City. The defendant was represented by Ian Bartolos and Andrew Monroe of McCausland Barrett & Bartolos in Kansas City.

The plaintiff’s side had three experts: Dr. Theodore Koreckij, a surgeon; Dr. Ameet Deshmukh, who specializes in life care planning; and William Rogers, an accounting, damages and economics specialist.

“Conveying the full nature of the extent of damages … The testimony of (the plaintiff) and testimony of the experts was critical achieving results we did,” said Savio.

Premises liability

Amount of settlement: $1.7 million

Type of action: Premises liability

Venue: Johnson County District Court, Kansas

Case Number/Date: Confidential/May 12, 2026

Plaintiffs’ Expert(s): Dr. Theodore Koreckij, medical – surgical specialties; Dr. Ameet Deshmukh, life care planning specialist; William Rogers, accounting, damages and economics specialist

Injuries: Back, spine

Caption: Confidential

Plaintiffs’ Attorneys: Nick Savio, Clifford & Savio Trial Attorneys, Kansas City; Matt Clifford, Clifford & Savio Trial Attorneys, Kansas City

Defendants’ Attorneys: Ian Bartolos, McCausland Barrett & Bartolos, Kansas City; Andrew Monroe, McCausland Barrett & Bartolos, Kansas City