Otis Felder (Partner-Los Angeles, CA) and Peter Chu (Associate-Los Angeles, CA) obtained summary judgment on behalf of a property owner and short-term property management company in a premises liability case where the plaintiff claimed $1.5 million in damages after tripping and falling on a concrete pathway in the property backyard. The plaintiff, an invitee on a rented property, filed a lawsuit claiming the owners were negligent in failing to properly maintain their vacation rental property. She had walked on the premises including the backyard when she arrived, and after returning from a boating trip while there was still light outside, she tripped and fell on her way toward the jacuzzi. The San Bernardino Superior Court granted summary judgment on the trivial defect doctrine, finding that the alleged dangerous defect was not significant given the differential in the height between two slabs in the backyard and other factors concerning the walkway. Alternatively, the court found that there was not a dispute in the evidence with respect to the two concrete slabs in the backyard, such that it was open and obvious to those who used the walkway.