On Oct. 10, 2014, John H. White was a paying customer at the Marriott, when he fell on a credenza in the middle of the lobby, according to a complaint filed Oct. 4 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
White claims the credenza was free standing and not anchored to the floor and, due to the crowd in the lobby, he took a step backward and hit the credenza, which caused him to fall on his back on top of it.
The credenza was negligently placed in the lobby and the defendant knew or should have known that the lobby would be crowded due to activities occurring, including the homecoming of West Virginia State University, according to the suit.
White claims the defendant failed to properly maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition for the use by the public, which caused him to fall and injure himself.
As a result of the defendant’s actions, White suffered injuries to his neck, back and other body parts and has suffered from headaches, according to the suit.
White is seeking compensatory damages with pre-judgment interest. He is being represented by Dwight J. Staples of Henderson, Henderson & Staples.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 16-C-1513