$500,000 Workplace Stairway Fall Settlement in Manhattan

A kitchen worker carrying three trays of bread down the stairs between the upstairs kitchen and the downstairs kitchen. Four steps from the bottom, her right foot hit wetness on the step, slid forward, and her heel caught the edge. She fell — still holding the bread trays — down a stairway that the employer had allowed to become dangerously wet.

Kitchen Worker Falls on Wet Stairway in Manhattan

Our client worked in a Manhattan food service establishment that had kitchens on two levels connected by an interior stairway. She was carrying three trays of bread from the upstairs kitchen to the downstairs kitchen — a routine task she performed regularly as part of her job. Approximately four steps from the bottom of the last set of stairs, her right foot slid forward on wetness on the step surface. As her foot slid, her heel caught the edge of the same step, and she fell — losing control of the bread trays and going down the remaining stairs.

The fall mechanism was particularly dangerous because our client's hands were occupied carrying three trays. When a person carrying a load slips on a stair, they cannot use their hands to grab a railing or break the fall. The trays, the worker, and the remaining stairs all combine to create a fall with no possibility of self-arrest. The injuries from this fall required medical evaluation and an extended course of treatment.

Wet Stairway in a Commercial Kitchen — A Preventable Hazard

Stairways in commercial food service operations are high-traffic areas where spills, condensation, and water from food preparation regularly create wet surfaces. Employers and building owners are required to maintain these stairways in safe condition — which means regular cleaning, prompt spill response, non-slip surface treatments, and adequate drainage. When employees are expected to carry loads up and down stairs as part of their regular duties, the obligation to maintain dry, safe stair surfaces is even more critical because the worker's ability to react to a slip is compromised by whatever they're carrying.

Our attorneys investigated the stairway condition, the source of the wetness, and the employer's maintenance protocols for the kitchen stairs. The evidence established that wet conditions on the stairway were a recurring and foreseeable hazard in this workplace — and that the employer and building owner failed to implement adequate measures to keep the stairs safe for workers carrying loads between the two kitchen levels.

"She was carrying three trays of bread down the stairs — that was her job. Four steps from the bottom, her foot hit a wet spot and slid forward. Her heel caught the edge of the step and she went down. Her hands were full — she couldn't grab the railing, couldn't catch herself, couldn't do anything but fall. Kitchen stairways get wet. That's a known hazard. The employer was responsible for keeping those stairs safe for workers who had to carry loads up and down them every day." — Joseph Taylor, Managing Attorney

$500,000 Settlement for a Manhattan Workplace Stairway Fall

This $500,000 settlement covers medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages, and the lasting physical limitations our client now manages from the stairway fall. It holds the property owner accountable for a wet stairway in a commercial kitchen — a recurring hazard that should have been addressed before a worker carrying a load fell.

If you were injured in a workplace fall caused by wet stairs or unsafe conditions, our premises liability attorneys have experience with workplace stairway negligence claims and are ready to review your case.