The jury returned a defense verdict on November 3, 2023 in the United States District Court of Pennsylvania in a ladder accident case in which the defendant was represented by David Johnson. The case was tried before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia Dodge.
Defendants presented evidence from a metallurgical expert and a reconstruction expert that the welds on the ladder were not defective. Further, it was explained, the accident occurred because of the highly reckless manner in which the plaintiff was using the ladder. While the plaintiff contended that he fully followed all instructions in setting the ladder up properly, defendant’s investigation determined that the ladder was positioned at a shallow angle, on a sloping driveway, with one leg off the surface. The jury also was presented with two key documents found during discovery in which plaintiff had provided descriptions of what occurred which supported the defendant’s accident reconstruction.
The jury deliberated for two hours before returning a unanimous verdict for the ladder manufacturer.