Austin Jury Awards $401,467 After Hotel Guest Falls Into Overgrown Drop-Off at Carpenter Hotel

On September 25, 2022, Eric Williams was on the grounds of The Carpenter Hotel in Austin, Texas. He stepped into what he described as an overgrown area near the property and fell three to four feet. The fall caused injuries significant enough to require medical care, and he was left with lasting pain, physical impairment, and disfigurement.

Williams brought a premises-liability claim against The Carpenter Hotel, LLC and its affiliated ownership entity, Carp 2020 Holdings, LLC. He argued that the defendants had allowed a hazardous condition to exist on their property without adequately warning guests or correcting it. The case was filed in Travis County as cause number D-1-GN-22-006776.

Cole Gumm of Zinda Law Group, PLLC handled the trial. The defense was represented by Matthew Walker and Beasia Dozier of Litchfield Cavo, LLP. The case was tried before Judge Catherine Mauzy in the 419th Civil District Court over four days, August 5 through 8, 2024.

At the close of evidence the jury apportioned fault, finding Williams only 5% responsible for the incident and placing 95% of the liability on the hotel defendants. On the compensatory side, the jury awarded damages for past and future medical care, physical pain, physical impairment, and disfigurement, totaling $201,467.69.

The jury also found that the defendants had acted with gross negligence, which allowed for an additional award of exemplary damages. They set that figure at $200,000. The combined verdict came to $401,467.69. No appellate reduction has been reported in available public sources.