Sumner Law Group Secures $5 Million Verdict Against St. Louis
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ST. LOUIS, MO, September 18, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Sumner Law Group has secured a $5 million verdict in a premises liability case against the City of St. Louis, following a fall that left a pedestrian with severe leg fractures. The jury's decision, handed down on September 10, 2026, highlights the city's failure to address a known hazard on a public sidewalk near the City Museum.
The incident occurred on an uneven stretch of sidewalk in a busy downtown area, just steps from the popular attraction. The plaintiff, a pedestrian, tripped and fell on a defective section of the sidewalk, suffering severe injuries that required five surgeries and a lengthy recovery. According to the press release, the city had been aware of the hazard for ten months prior to the accident but failed to take any action to repair it.
Brent Sumner and John Greffet of Sumner Law Group, along with co-counsel Adam Bragee of Walton Telken Bragee, represented the injured party. The trial focused on the city's knowledge of the hazard and its failure to act in a timely manner. The evidence presented showed that the sidewalk had been reported as defective roughly ten months before the plaintiff's fall, yet no repair was ever made. Under Missouri law, a public entity can be held responsible for a dangerous condition on its property when it had notice of the hazard and a reasonable opportunity to fix it, as outlined in RSMo § 537.600.
Greffet stated, "This verdict was never only about one injury. The city was told this sidewalk was dangerous and had ten months to do something about it. Our hope is that this result finally impacts the way the City responds to citizen complaints regarding dangerous sidewalks, so the next person walking to the City Museum makes it there safely."
Sumner, the lead attorney, added, "When a city knows about a dangerous condition and fails to fix it, accountability matters. These are exactly the kinds of cases we are prepared to put before a jury."
Sumner Law Group, with more than 50 years of combined legal experience, has a track record of taking cases to trial when necessary. The firm specializes in representing individuals injured in accidents, including those involving public entities, and aims to hold negligent parties accountable for preventable harm.