Philadelphia, PA (December 16, 2025) – Rawle & Henderson Partner, Suzanne Curran Murphy,  successfully defended a slip-and-fall case in the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Pennsylvania involving a claim that a restaurant patron was injured by hazardously stacked highchairs.

The court granted summary judgment based upon Ms. Murphy successfully arguing that the plaintiff failed to raise a disputed issue of material fact relating to the required elements of  duty and causation. While agreeing that the restaurant owed a duty to its customers, Ms. Murphy effectively argued that plaintiff failed to show a breach of that duty and failed to show that there was any causal link between the alleged acts or omissions of the restaurant and the plaintiff’s fall and subsequent injury. Ms. Murphy also persuasively argued that any risk posed by the highchairs was so open and obvious as to pose no reasonable risk to a rational person.  Finally, Ms. Murphy efficiently argued that it is insufficient for plaintiff to argue that the restaurant created a defect and then fail to identify the defect and provide an expert report. The lack of an expert witness to establish how the highchairs produced a hazardous condition further warranted entry of summary judgment.

For more information about Ms. Murphy and the General Casualty Liability Practice Group, visit: https://rawle.com/attorneys/suzanne-curran-murphy/?preview=true

About Rawle & Henderson LLP:  Founded in 1783, Rawle & Henderson has been recognized by the American Bar Association as the oldest law firm in continuous practice in the United States. With offices in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, its lawyers represent the interests of corporations, businesses, individuals and their insurers.  For more information, visit http://www.rawle.com