Plaintiff, a 22-year-old college student, was seriously injured when she fell through an opening in a fire escape that lacked proper guardrails. HKD argued that the fire escape violated applicable building codes requiring railings, while the defendants maintained that the codes did not apply because the building was constructed in the early 1900s.
As a result of the fall, the plaintiff suffered multiple fractures requiring surgery and was left with a permanent disability. HKD partner Jordan Hecht resolved the matter at mediation for $7,750,000.