Matt Musulin was an extraordinarily healthy man, approaching 90 years old. He was with family members at Izzy’s Restaurant when he tripped over a wire on the patio, and suffered a severe head injury.

The management of the restaurant had been concerned that someone might steal their tables or chairs from the patio at night, so they had a thick cable connecting them all, and the cable was left there 24 hours a day. They said it never occurred to them that the cable might create a hazard.

The defense tried to suggest that the quality of life for an old person was not worth much. We argued that every day of life is more valuable as one gets older. The jury awarded $200,000.