Sommers Schwartz attorney Michael Cunningham filed a premises liability lawsuit for a West Michigan man and his wife after the man slipped and fell on black ice in an auto dealership’s parking lot, fracturing his hip.
In December 2025, the plaintiff and his wife visited the dealership to shop for a new vehicle. A salesman was walking them through the lot, showing them cars, when the plaintiff slipped and fell on black ice. The parking area was poorly lit and had not been treated; the dealership had failed to apply salt or other winter treatments and had not cleared the snow and ice that had accumulated under the prevailing weather conditions.
The complaint alleges the dealership negligently maintained its parking lot in several respects. It failed to inspect the lot for hazardous conditions, apply salt or ice-melting treatments, clear accumulated snow and ice from the areas where customers were being shown vehicles, and provide adequate lighting so that hazards like black ice would be visible. As a business that regularly brings customers onto its lot in all weather, the complaint alleges the dealership had a duty to ensure those customers could access and view vehicles in a reasonably safe manner.
The fall fractured the plaintiff’s hip, specifically causing an acute fracture of the greater trochanter of the left femur. He also sustained injury to the surrounding nerves, muscles, and soft tissue. The injury required hospitalization and surgery, and his physicians expect he will need ongoing medical treatment in the future. The fall has left him with scarring, diminished strength and range of motion, chronic pain, and lasting disability.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for the plaintiff’s past and future medical expenses, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity, along with damages for his physical pain, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.
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