Court dismisses another "slip and fall case"

Joseph Cantrell sued the Ashley Brownstown South LLC and Ford Motor after he tripped over a raised steel plate on the Defendant's commercial premises. Cantrell was focused on picking up a semi-trailer from a loading dock when he tripped over the 1/2" plate.  He claimed that his business purpose prevented him from focusing on the floor where he was walking.  The Court determined this was not a fact issue and summarily dismissed Cantrell's claim; it held that the raised steel plate was an "open and obvious" hazard and therefore the property owner owed no duty to make it safe or warn about its presence.