Manning Kass Earns Jury Verdict for AMC Theaters

The Manning Kass Sports, Recreation, and Attractions Law team earned another victory for our client, AMC Theaters. The case centered around a slip and fall incident that happened in 2015. The plaintiff alleged she sustained injuries when she fell in the auditorium while walking to her seat at an AMC Theaters location due to negligence.

The plaintiff levied several allegations against the movie theater chain: she alleged that the movie auditorium was too dark and the handrails were improper, that the movie theater violated the Building Code, and was generally unsafe. As a result of the incident, the plaintiff alleged she sustained significant injuries including skull fractures, a broken tooth, and knee injuries requiring a total knee replacement. At trial, the plaintiff argued that AMC willfully suppressed evidence and asked the jury to award her $1.95 million in damages. 

The defense, led by Orange County Partner Karen Liao, argued that there was no wrongdoing by AMC including no issues with lighting or the handrails in the movie auditorium.  Further, the plaintiff’s knee surgery was necessitated by her pre-existing arthritis that was unrelated to the fall at AMC. The jury returned a unanimous 12-0 defense verdict in favor of AMC, finding that they were not negligent.