Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca5-15-30685/USCOURTS-ca5-15-30685-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Joycelyn Griffin
Appellant
Wal-Mart Louisiana, L.L.C.
Appellee

Document Text:

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT

No. 15-30685

Summary Calendar

JOYCELYN GRIFFIN,

Plaintiff–Appellant,

versus

WAL-MART LOUISIANA, L.L.C.,

Defendant–Appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Middle District of Louisiana

No. 3:14-CV-110

Before REAVLEY, SMITH, and HAYNES, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:*

This is an ordinary retail slip-and-fall case under Louisiana law per 

diversity jurisdiction. Although the plaintiff pleaded that she fell because of 

the defendant store’s failure to remove a foreign substance on the floor, she 

 

* Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not 

be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH 

CIR. R. 47.5.4.

United States Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

FILED

December 2, 2015

Lyle W. Cayce

Clerk

 Case: 15-30685 Document: 00513291316 Page: 1 Date Filed: 12/02/2015
No. 15-30685

2

testified that she does not recall what caused her to fall.

The defendant moved for summary judgment, which the district court 

granted, issuing a succinct but sufficiently thorough ruling that carefully 

examined the facts in light of Louisiana law. The court concluded, “Upon burden shifting to non-movant, Plaintiff falls short of carrying her burden of proof 

because the statute does not allow the factfinder to make inferences of the 

condition, but requires Plaintiff to make a positive showing. The Court concludes Plaintiff has failed to make a positive showing of the existence of the 

condition prior to the fall.”

The summary judgment is AFFIRMED, essentially for the reasons convincingly stated by the district court.

 Case: 15-30685 Document: 00513291316 Page: 2 Date Filed: 12/02/2015