On November 15th, 2011, a federal jury in Chicago returned a defense verdict in a case tried by Jim Balog and Jennifer Reddien. The trial involved a trip and fall in a south suburban store parking lot. The 69 year old plaintiff alleged that the Retailer was negligent for failing to repair a pothole before the accident. The plaintiff claimed that, as a result of her fall, she tore her right rotator cuff and aggravated her osteoarthritic right knee, an injury that she claimed would require her to need a total knee replacement. She asked the jury for $750,000.00 in compensatory damages and enough punitive damages to send a message to the Retailer’s corporate headquarters.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant Retailer.