Our VerdictsMr. Srodulski Changes Illinois Law

Mr. Srodulski obtained summary judgement in Lee v. Lee. The case arose from an incident in which the Plaintiff tried to cut down a tree limb on the Defendant’s premises despite the Defendant asking him not to do so. The Plaintiff proceeded to do so anyway and fell from a ladder suffering severe injuries. The trial court granted Mr. Srodulski’s motion for summary judgement and the Plaintiff appealed. Mr. Srodulski persuaded the appellate court that the open and obvious doctrine applied to not only an ordinary negligence claims but also to Plaintiff’s premises liability claim against the Defendant. There had been controversy in the law whether the doctrine applied to a premises claims and Mr. Srodulski’s arguments and advocacy convinced the appellate court to resolve the question in favor of land owners.