$5.975 Million Verdict Reached for Man Injured in RV Park Staircase Fall
San Luis Obispo, CA – A jury has awarded $5,975,000 in favor of Mark Nickerson, represented by Singleton Schreiber, after finding Sun Communities liable for injuries he suffered when a staircase at one of its RV park properties gave way beneath him. Nickerson, then 76, was walking down the stairs of a cabin when one of the steps slid backward off its tracks, sending him to the ground and causing him to strike his head and lose consciousness.
Nickerson sustained a traumatic brain injury and now suffers from daily post-traumatic headaches. A former piston engineer for automotive racing who had been riding motorcycles prior to the incident at 76, he now relies on a walker. In the two years following the incident, he underwent extensive treatment, including Botox injections, epidural steroid injections, radiofrequency ablations, and nerve blocks.
Singleton Schreiber Senior Counsel, Domenic Martini, and Associate Attorney Ben Koh represented Nickerson at trial.
"Our client was vindicated," said Martini. "He is a smart, successful man with a life and career he was proud of. The jury heard the truth, and this verdict reflects the profound and lasting impact this injury has had on his life. No verdict can erase what happened to him, but this outcome brings accountability and helps him move forward."
The trial, presided over by Judge Michael Kelley, was bifurcated into liability and damages phases. During the liability phase, Singleton Schreiber's trial team presented evidence that Sun Communities had owned the property for nine years and had experienced two prior incidents in which steps came loose on other units. Despite this history, the company performed no routine inspections, kept no maintenance records, and relied solely on housekeeping staff to report problems. The defense argued that Nickerson had fabricated his account of the fall and that the incident was instead a products liability matter involving the cabin's manufacturer.
The jury rejected the defense's arguments, returning a 10-2 liability verdict finding Sun Communities 82.5% at fault, the manufacturer 17.5% at fault as an empty-chair defendant, and assigning no fault to Nickerson.
In the damages phase, the defense called three doctors to challenge the severity of Nickerson's injuries but ultimately withdrew one and significantly narrowed the opinions of the remaining two, including conceding causation. Nickerson's medical experts, Dr. Paul Jain and Dr. Andrew Blumenfeld, testified to the debilitating nature of his traumatic brain injury and chronic headaches. After deliberating for two hours, the jury awarded $975,000 for past pain and suffering and $5,000,000 for future pain and suffering.
About Singleton Schreiber
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, focusing on mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, tribal law, and sex abuse/trafficking. Home to the nation's largest fire litigation practice, the firm has represented over 30,000 wildfire and explosion victims caused by utilities, government negligence, railroads, and corporate misconduct. Its nationally recognized team has played a leading role in high-profile cases including the 2025 Eaton Fire, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Fire, 2025 Esparto Fireworks Explosion, 2023 Maui Fires, and is also actively litigating wildfire cases throughout New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Washington. They are also pursuing groundbreaking litigation against Tesla for misrepresenting their autopilot system, which recently resulted in a historic verdict. Additionally, the firm advocates for survivors of abuse involving hotel chains in California and Washington. With deep experience in complex claims, the firm is committed to helping individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild.
