Michael Marconi (Of Counsel-Dallas, TX) and Garett Willig (Partner-Houston, TX) secured a unanimous defense verdict on behalf of Wilson Elser’s client, an international hospitality group encompassing restaurants, hotels and gaming, in a premises liability/wrongful death case tried in the 68th Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Texas. The plaintiffs claimed the decedent tripped over an allegedly defective concrete wheel stop in our client’s parking lot, suffered a massive head injury from the fall, and died days later after he was transferred to hospice care. Less than a week before trial, the parties went to mediation and the plaintiffs never came off their demand for $15 million to settle the case. At trial, the plaintiffs presented expert testimony that wheel stops pose an unreasonably dangerous trip hazard; that safer alternatives exist; that the wheel stop in question was particularly dangerous because a piece of rebar was exposed and because it was not painted to contrast with the parking lot floor. Michael, as lead counsel, presented expert testimony that wheel stops are very common and not unreasonably dangerous; that the restaurant group’s parking lot complied with all the applicable ADA and municipal code requirements; and that the exposed rebar was insignificant. Our client’s corporate representative testified that there was no history of wheel stop accidents at the restaurant group’s parking lots prior to the accident at issue. The jury returned a 12-0 defense verdict less than two hours after commencing deliberations.