April Serrano v. Laurel Housing Authority

MAXWELL, J.,

for the Court:

¶ 1. April Serrano claimed she was injured when the fluorescent light box attached to the kitchen ceiling of her apartment partially fell, causing patches of drywall to land on her. No one disputes the light box and drywall fell. But Laurel Housing Authority, the government entity that managed the apartment complex, hotly contested that it knew or should have known the heavy light box posed a danger of falling.

¶ 2. To recover damages, Serrano had to prove Laurel Housing had actual or constructive notice the light box was a dangerous condition. 1 And to prevent Laurel…