Court Opinion

ID: 9396401
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-22 15:08:29.83133+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:16.574528
License: Public Domain

[Cite as Coldren v. Northview Shopping Plaza, L.L.C., 2023-Ohio-1703.]

                      IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
                          THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT
                              HANCOCK COUNTY

HARRY COLDREN, ET AL.,

        PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS,                                     CASE NO. 5-22-23

        v.

NORTHVIEW SHOPPING
PLAZA, LLC, ET AL.,                                                OPINION

        DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES.

                Appeal from Hancock County Common Pleas Court
                          Trial Court No. 2021 CV 0066

                                     Judgment Affirmed

                             Date of Decision: May 22, 2023

APPEARANCES:

        Timothy A. Magee for Appellant

        Paul R. Bonfiglio for Appellee
Case No. 5-22-23

ZIMMERMAN, J.

       {¶1} Plaintiffs-appellants, Harry Coldren (“Harry”) and Paulette Coldren

(“Paulette”) (collectively, “the Coldrens”), appeal the July 25, 2022 judgment of the

Hancock County Court of Common Pleas granting summary judgment in favor of

defendants-appellees, Northview Shopping Plaza, LLC (“Northview Plaza”) and

John N. Steffen (“John”) (collectively, “defendants”), and dismissing the Coldrens’

complaint. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

       {¶2} This case stems from an incident on March 5, 2019 during which

Paulette tripped and fell over a raised concrete curb located in front of the

entranceway to Readmore’s Hallmark (“Readmore’s), a leasee of Northview Plaza.

Northview Plaza is owned by John and Elaine M. Steffen (“Elaine”) (collectively,

“the Steffens”).

       {¶3} On the day of Paulette’s accident, the Coldrens parked their vehicle in

the handicapped-parking spot situated to the left of the front of Readmore’s

entrance. Paulette was injured as she stepped from the parking lot asphalt onto the

sidewalk in front of her and Harry’s vehicle. Specifically, Paulette tripped over the

curb and “fell into the edge of the entrance door (the door to her right) and the side

of the building.” (Doc. No. 49). Paulette’s injury occurred during daylight hours

and the weather conditions that day were clear.

                                         -2-
Case No. 5-22-23

       {¶4} The curb to the entranceway of Readmore’s (and Northview Plaza) is

raised approximately two-to-three inches from the level of the parking lot. At the

time of Paulette’s injury, the curb was not painted or otherwise marked. Paulette

suffered serious injuries as a result of her trip-and-fall accident, including a broken

arm and knee cap, and a torn earlobe.

       {¶5} According to the manager of Readmore’s, Debbie Chidser (“Chidser”),

“the parking lot for [Northview Plaza] was re-paved” three or four years ago, which

“created an approximately [two-inch] ‘lip’ at the edge of the parking lot where the

entrance way curb cut was directly in front of the store.” (Doc. No. 49, Ex. C).

Chidser averred that “there were approximately 15 incidents of people stumbling

over the lip in front of the store” in 2018 and 2019. (Id.). Chidser further averred

that the “lip” was painted yellow in July 2019 as a result of the incidents and that

“there have been no further incidents involving the lip since it was painted.” (Id.).

       {¶6} Importantly, Paulette “was aware that there was a ‘curb cut’ directly in

front of the doors to the store” “because [she] had visited the store approximately

ten times in the preceding five years” and because “the parking lot markings denoted

the general width of the curb cut.” (Doc. No. 49, Ex. A). However, Paulette averred

that she “was unaware that the curb cut was not level with the parking lot” because

she “simply never noticed it before or the day that [she] fell.” (Id.).

                                          -3-
Case No. 5-22-23

       {¶7} On March 3, 2021, the Coldrens filed a complaint in the trial court

alleging negligence and loss of consortium against Northview, Readmore’s and the

Steffens, and a claim for piercing the corporate vail against the Steffens. Northview

and the Steffens filed their answer on March 23, 2021.

       {¶8} On April 26, 2021, the Coldrens voluntarily dismissed their complaint

against Elaine (as a result of her death) as well as Readmore’s without prejudice

under Civ.R. 41(A).

       {¶9} The defendants filed a motion for summary judgment on November 1,

2021, arguing that there is no genuine issue of material fact that the curb on which

Paulette tripped is open and obvious. On December 17, 2021, the Coldrens filed a

motion for leave to file a memorandum in opposition to the defendants’ motion for

summary judgment instanter, which the trial court granted on December 20, 2021,

and the Coldrens’ memorandum in opposition was filed that same day. As evidence

in support of their memorandum in opposition to the defendants’ motion for

summary judgment, the Coldrens submitted the affidavits of Chidser and Linda Kuk

(“Kuk”). In her affidavit, Kuk averred that she tripped and fell over the same curb

as Paulette in April 2019. According to Kuk’s affidavit, “even though [she] had

been to the store a number of times,” she “never noticed the ‘ledge’ * * * .” (Doc.

No. 49, Ex. B).

                                         -4-
Case No. 5-22-23

       {¶10} On January 3, 2022, as a result of an unsigned affidavit, the Coldrens

filed a motion requesting to “supplement” their memorandum in opposition to the

defendants’ motion for summary judgment, which the trial court granted on January

6, 2022. Thus, the Coldrens filed a supplement to their memorandum in opposition

to the defendants’ motion for summary judgment on March 14, 2022.                 The

defendants filed their reply to the Coldrens’ memorandum on April 11, 2022.

       {¶11} On July 22, 2022, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor

of the defendants after concluding that there is no genuine issue of material fact that

the curb on which Paulette tripped is open and obvious. Furthermore, the trial court

concluded that there is no genuine issue of material fact that there are no attendant

circumstances that would “render the otherwise open and obvious hazard latent.”

(Doc. No. 56). As a result, the trial court dismissed the Coldrens’ complaint on July

25, 2022. (Doc. No. 57).

       {¶12} On August 22, 2022, the Coldrens filed a notice of appeal. They raise

one assignment of error for our review.

                               Assignment of Error

       The Trial Court Erred as a Matter of Law in it’s [sic] Application
       And Analysis of the ‘Open and Obvious’ Doctrine As it Applies
       To This Case.

       {¶13} In their assignment of error, the Coldrens argue that the trial court

erred by granting summary judgment in favor of defendants because there is a

                                          -5-
Case No. 5-22-23

genuine issue of material fact the curb on which Paulette tripped was not obvious.

Specifically, the Coldrens allege that photographic evidence documenting the curb;

evidence of “multiple incidences of the same thing occurring”; and the evidence that

Paulette and Kuk “frequented the store multiple times prior to their falls” and

“neither of them ever discovering or noticing the curb lip” create genuine issues of

material fact as to the obvious nature of the curb. (Appellant’s Brief at 7-8).

                                Standard of Review

       {¶14} We review a decision to grant summary judgment de novo. Doe v.

Shaffer, 90 Ohio St.3d 388, 390 (2000). “De novo review is independent and

without deference to the trial court’s determination.” ISHA, Inc. v. Risser, 3d Dist.

Allen No. 1-12-47, 2013-Ohio-2149, ¶ 25, citing Costner Consulting Co. v. U.S.

Bancorp, 195 Ohio App.3d 477, 2011-Ohio-3822, ¶ 10 (10th Dist.). Summary

judgment is proper where there is no genuine issue of material fact, the moving party

is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and reasonable minds can reach but one

conclusion when viewing the evidence in favor of the non-moving party, and the

conclusion is adverse to the non-moving party. Civ.R. 56(C); State ex rel. Cassels

v. Dayton City School Dist. Bd. of Edn., 69 Ohio St.3d 217, 219 (1994).

       {¶15} “The party moving for summary judgment has the initial burden of

producing some evidence which demonstrates the lack of a genuine issue of material

fact.” Carnes v. Siferd, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-10-88, 2011-Ohio-4467, ¶ 13, citing

                                         -6-
Case No. 5-22-23

Dresher v. Burt, 75 Ohio St.3d 280, 292 (1996). “In doing so, the moving party is

not required to produce any affirmative evidence, but must identify those portions

of the record which affirmatively support his argument.” Id., citing Dresher at 292.

“The nonmoving party must then rebut with specific facts showing the existence of

a genuine triable issue; he may not rest on the mere allegations or denials of his

pleadings.” Id., citing Dresher at 292 and Civ.R. 56(E).

                                     Analysis

      {¶16} In this case, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the

defendants after concluding that there is no genuine issue of material fact that the

defendants did not breach any duty to the Paulette because “the curb is an open and

obvious hazard as defined by Ohio law.” (Doc. No. 56). Reaching this conclusion,

the trial court found that (1) Paulette “admits that the curb was not hidden in any

way”; (2) Paulette “stated that had she looked she would have seen the curb * * * ”;

and (3) the photographs “support that the curb is an open and obvious haward [sic]”

because “[n]othing hides the view of the curb.” (Id.). Furthermore, the trial court

concluded that there are no attendant circumstances which would create a genuine

issue of material fact as to whether the curb was open and obvious.

      {¶17} Here, the Coldrens contend that genuine issues of material fact remain

as to whether the defendants breached a duty to Paulette. See, e.g., Armstrong v.

Best Buy Co., 99 Ohio St.3d 79, 2003-Ohio-2573, ¶ 8 (noting that “[t]he open-and-

                                        -7-
Case No. 5-22-23

obvious doctrine * * * concerns the first element of negligence law, the existence

of a duty”). See also id. at ¶ 13. “‘[I]n order to establish actionable negligence, one

seeking recovery must show the existence of a duty, the breach of the duty, and

injury resulting proximately therefrom.’” Carnes v. Siferd, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-

10-88, 2011-Ohio-4467, ¶ 14, quoting Strother v. Hutchinson, 67 Ohio St.2d 282,

285 (1981). See also Williams v. Lowe’s of Bellefontaine, 3d Dist. Logan No. 8-06-

25, 2007-Ohio-2045, ¶ 8 (“In a slip and fall case, the court must first determine what

duty of care the defendant owed the plaintiff.”). “At common law, the legal duty

owed by a landowner to one who enters upon his land was contingent upon the status

of the entrant: trespasser, licensee, or invitee.” Carnes at ¶ 14, citing Shump v. First

Continental-Robinwood Assoc., 71 Ohio St.3d 414, 417 (1994). In this case, the

parties do not dispute that Paulette was a business invitee of Readmore’s and the

defendants.1

        {¶18} “A shopkeeper ordinarily owes its business invitees a duty of ordinary

care in maintaining the premises in a reasonably safe condition and has the duty to

warn its invitees of latent or hidden dangers.” Armstrong at ¶ 5. “However, this

duty does not require landowners to insure the safety of invitees on their property.”

Lang v. Holly Hill Motel, Inc., 122 Ohio St.3d 120, 2009-Ohio-2495, ¶ 11. “[T]he

1
 “‘“Business invitees are persons who come upon the premises of another, by invitation, express or implied,
for some purpose which is beneficial to the owner.”’” Carnes v. Siferd, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-10-88, 2011-
Ohio-4467, ¶ 14, quoting Neumeier v. Lima, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-05-23, 2005-Ohio-5376, ¶ 13, quoting
Light v. Ohio Univ., 28 Ohio St.3d 66, 68 (1986).

                                                   -8-
Case No. 5-22-23

open-and-obvious doctrine obviates the duty to warn and acts as a complete bar to

any negligence claims.” Armstrong at ¶ 5. “The ‘open and obvious’ doctrine states

that an owner or occupier of property owes no duty to warn invitees entering the

property of open and obvious dangers on the property.” Simmers v. Bentley Constr.

Co., 64 Ohio St.3d 642, 644 (1992). See also Simms v. Penn Natl. Gaming, Inc.,

10th Dist. Franklin No. 21AP-185, 2022-Ohio-388, ¶ 22 (“A premises owner owes

no duty to protect an invitee from dangers that are known to the invitee or are so

obvious and apparent to the invitee that he or she may be reasonably expected to

discover them and protect him or her against them.”).

       {¶19} “In general, ‘[o]pen-and-obvious dangers are those not hidden,

concealed from view, or undiscoverable upon ordinary inspection.’” Shipman v.

Papa John’s, 3d Dist. Shelby No. 17-14-17, 2014-Ohio-5092, ¶ 22, quoting

Thompson v. Ohio State Univ. Physicians, Inc., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 10AP-612,

2011-Ohio-2270, ¶ 12. “However, an individual ‘does not need to observe the

dangerous condition for it to be an “open-and-obvious” condition under the law;

rather, the determinative issue is whether the condition is observable.’” Id., quoting

Thompson at ¶ 12. “Thus, ‘[e]ven in cases where the plaintiff did not actually notice

the condition until after he or she fell, [courts have] found no duty where the plaintiff

could have seen the condition if he or she had looked.’” Id., quoting Thompson at

¶ 12. See also Lydic v. Lowe’s Cos., Inc., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 01AP-1432, 2002-

                                          -9-
Case No. 5-22-23

Ohio-5001, ¶ 10 (emphasizing that, “[e]ven in cases in which the plaintiff did not

actually notice the condition until after he or she fell, * * * no duty * * * exist[s] in

cases where the plaintiff could have seen the condition if he or she had looked”).

       {¶20} “In most situations, whether a danger is open and obvious presents a

question of law.” Carnes, 2011-Ohio-4467, at ¶ 16. See also Klauss v. Glassman,

8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 84799, 2005-Ohio-1306, ¶ 18 (“Where only one conclusion

can be drawn from the established facts, the issue of whether a risk was open and

obvious may be decided by the court as a matter of law.”). “However, where

reasonable minds could differ with respect to whether a danger is open and obvious,

the obviousness of the risk is an issue for the jury to determine.” Klauss at ¶ 18.

Nevertheless, “when a plaintiff is injured by an open and obvious danger, summary

judgment is generally appropriate because the duty of care necessary to establish

negligence does not exist as a matter of law.” Lang, 122 Ohio St.3d 120, 2009-

Ohio-2495, at ¶ 11.

       {¶21} On appeal, the Coldrens argue that “[t]he trial court erred in focusing

solely on the ‘open’ (not hidden from view) portion of the doctrine, failing to

address whether or not the hazard in question (the approximately two to three inch

curb ‘lip’) was ‘obvious’.” (Appellant’s Brief at 5). In other words, the Coldrens

contend that they “never asserted that the curb * * * lip was not ‘open’, or hidden

from view,”; rather, they argue that the trial court failed to consider whether “the

                                          -10-
Case No. 5-22-23

hazard [was] ‘obvious’” or “not deceptive.” (Id. at 5-6). The defendants oppose the

Coldrens’ argument and contend that the Coldrens did not provide any “authority to

show that any court anywhere has made such a distinction [regarding the open-and-

obvious doctrine] nor [have they] provided any authority to show what deceptive

means, how it is to be assessed or how this common curb could somehow meet that

that [sic] standard and qualify as being deceptive.” (Appellee’s Brief at 10).

       {¶22} The Coldrens’ bifurcation of the elements of the open-and-obvious

doctrine constitutes a distinction without a difference.       Indeed, Ohio courts

consistently define an open and obvious hazard in the conjunctive. That is, “[a]n

open and obvious danger or hazard is, by definition, neither latent nor concealed and

is discoverable upon ordinary inspection.” (Emphasis added.) Ahmad v. AK Steel

Corp., 119 Ohio St.3d 1210, 2008-Ohio-4082, ¶ 25 (O’Donnell, J., dissenting). See

also Mohn v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 3d Dist. Hardin No. 6-08-12, 2008-Ohio-6184,

¶ 14 (“A hazard is open and obvious when in plain view and readily discoverable

upon ordinary inspection.”), citing Parsons v. Lawson Co., 57 Ohio App.3d 49, 50-

51 (5th Dist.1989) (affirming that, “where the hazard is not hidden from view or

concealed and is discoverable by ordinary inspection, the court may properly sustain

a summary judgment against the claimant”).

       {¶23} Thus, applying the legally accepted definition of an open and obvious

hazard, we will begin by addressing whether the curb is an open and obvious hazard.

                                        -11-
Case No. 5-22-23

Accord Carnes, 2011-Ohio-4467, at ¶ 19; Williams, 2007-Ohio-2045, at ¶ 10, 18.

“Determination of whether a particular hazard is open and obvious does not revolve

around the plaintiff’s peculiar sensibilities or whether the plaintiff actually observed

the danger.” Carnes at ¶ 19. “‘Instead, the question is whether, under an objective

standard, the danger would have been discernible to a reasonable person.’” Id.,

quoting Ray v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 4th Dist. Washington No. 08CA41, 2009-

Ohio-4542, ¶ 22. “If the hazard itself is not objectively open and obvious we need

not reach the issue of whether attendant circumstances ‘unreasonably increased the

normal risk’ of the hazard.” Id., quoting Williams, 2007-Ohio-2045, at ¶ 18.

       {¶24} We do not doubt that Paulette sustained significant injuries from her

fall, “and we certainly do not require pedestrians to scrutinize the ground with every

step they take; however, the evidence in this case is clear that the hazard * * * was

open and obvious, and [the defendants] could reasonably expect customers [of

Readmore’s] to avoid it to protect themselves.” Williams at ¶ 15. Stated another

way, the obviousness of the risk is not an issue for a jury to determine in this case

because reasonable minds cannot differ with respect to whether the curb is an open

and obvious hazard. Indeed, the condition is observable. See Thompson, 2011-

Ohio-2270, at ¶ 12 (“A person does not need to observe the dangerous condition for

it to be an ‘open-and-obvious’ condition under the law; rather, the determinative

issue is whether the condition is observable.”).

                                         -12-
Case No. 5-22-23

       {¶25} Imperatively, the evidence in the record is undisputed concerning the

visibility of the hazard. Accord Williams at ¶ 15. Certainly, it is “recognized that

‘[e]ven an obstruction that sits low to the ground in an area frequented by customers

may be open and obvious as a matter of law, so long as it is not concealed.’” Brown

v. Classic Ventures Food Div., Inc., 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 84656, 2005-Ohio-112,

¶ 12, quoting Johnson v. Golden Corral, 4th Dist. Scioto No. 99CA2643, 2000 WL

1358635, *2 (Sept. 12, 2000).

       {¶26} Here, Paulette testified that the curb was “not hidden in any fashion,”

and in “open” view. (Paulette Depo. at 36). Compare Simms, 2022-Ohio-388, at ¶

26 (concluding that there was no genuine issue of material fact that the hazard was

open and obvious because, in part, the appellant “testified that there was nothing

blocking his view of the sidewalk”). Likewise, Paulette testified that she would

have seen the curb had she looked down. (See Paulette Depo. at 39-40). See

Armstrong, 99 Ohio St.3d 79, 2003-Ohio-2573, at ¶ 16 (concluding that Best Buy

was entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law because, in part, “Armstrong

admitted in his deposition that when he entered the store, nothing was obstructing

his view prior to his fall and that, had he been looking down, he would have seen

the guardrail”). Furthermore, Paulette averred that she “was aware that there was a

‘curb cut’ directly in front of the doors to the store” “because [she] had visited the

store approximately ten times in the preceding five years” and because “the parking

                                        -13-
Case No. 5-22-23

lot markings denoted the general width of the curb cut.” (Doc. No. 49, Ex. A). See

Armstrong at ¶ 16. Moreover, Paulette identified Defendant’s Exhibits M, O, P, and

Q as photographs depicting the condition of parking lot at issue in this case.

Critically, those photographs clearly depict the variation of the height of the curb

from the parking lot.

       {¶27} Notwithstanding the observability of the curb, the Coldrens contend

that it is not an open and obvious hazard since “there were other individuals who

tripped over the very same curb lip.” (Appellant’s Brief at 8). However, evidence

that “a plaintiff or others may not have actually seen a danger that caused harm is

insufficient to demonstrate that the hazard was latent rather than open and obvious.”

(Emphasis added.) Brown at ¶ 15.

       {¶28} Therefore, based on our review of the record, we conclude that the

curb is an open and obvious hazard. That is, there are no genuine issues of material

fact that the curb was not hidden or concealed from view or undiscoverable by

ordinary inspection. See Brown at ¶ 12 (collecting cases finding “similar parking

barriers and curbs to be open and obvious conditions”).

       {¶29} Furthermore,     the   trial     court   addressed   whether   attendant

circumstances were present to obviate the open and obvious nature of the curb.

Specifically, the trial court concluded that there is no triable issue as to whether

attendant circumstances lessened the open and obvious nature of the curb. Even

                                            -14-
Case No. 5-22-23

though the Coldrens do not raise any argument relative to attendant circumstances

on appeal, we will address whether any attendant circumstances unreasonably

increased the normal risk of the hazard. Accord Simms, 2022-Ohio-388, at ¶ 28

(noting that, even though it did not need to address the issue of attendant

circumstances because the appellant did “not argue in [that] appeal that the trial

court erred in this regard,” the court “consider[ed] the arguments appellant raised in

his response to appellee’s motion for summary judgment as to the attendant

circumstance issue” since the court “stand[s] in the shoes of the trial court”).

       {¶30} “‘Attendant circumstances” may also create a genuine issue of

material fact as to whether a hazard is open and obvious.” Lang v. Holly Hill Motel,

4th Dist. Jackson No. 06CA18, 2007-Ohio-3898, ¶ 24. Attendant circumstances are

“[a]n exception to the open and obvious doctrine * * * .” Simms at ¶ 29. However,

“[t]o serve as an exception to the open and obvious doctrine, an attendant

circumstance must be ‘so abnormal that it unreasonably increased the normal risk

of a harmful result or reduced the degree of care an ordinary person would

exercise.’” Shipman, 2014-Ohio-5092, at ¶ 29, quoting Mayle v. Ohio Dept. of

Rehab. & Corr., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 09AP-541, 2010-Ohio-2774, ¶ 20.

       {¶31} Nonetheless, “[t]here is no precise definition of attendant

circumstances.” Simms at ¶ 30. Generally, “‘attendant circumstances are facts that

significantly enhance the danger of the hazard.’” Shipman at ¶ 29, quoting Haller

                                         -15-
Case No. 5-22-23

v. Meijer, Inc., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 11AP-290, 2012-Ohio-670, ¶ 10. See also

Carnes, 2011-Ohio-4467, at ¶ 17 (noting that attendant circumstances refer “‘to all

facts relating to the event, such as time, place, surroundings or background and the

conditions normally existing that would unreasonably increase the normal risk of a

harmful result of the event’”), quoting Benton v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store,

Inc., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 02AP1211, 2003-Ohio-2890, ¶ 17. Specifically, an

“attendant circumstance” is “‘a factor that contributes to the fall and is beyond the

control of the injured party.’” Williams, 2007-Ohio-2045, at ¶ 18, quoting Benton

at ¶ 17.

       {¶32} “Attendant circumstances may exist which distract an individual from

exercising the degree of care an ordinary person would have exercised to avoid the

danger.” Carnes at ¶ 17. “An attendant circumstance is usually an active event as

opposed to a static condition.” Id. When considering attendant circumstances, those

“‘circumstances contributing to and those reducing the risk of the defect must be

considered.’” Benton at ¶ 17, quoting Sack v. Skyline Chili, Inc., 12th Dist. Warren

No. CA2002-09-101, 2003-Ohio-2226, ¶ 20. “‘Although not an exhaustive list,

attendant circumstances can include the following: poor lighting, a large volume of

pedestrian traffic, the visibility of the defect, the overall condition of the walkway,

and whether the nature of the site is such that one’s attention would easily be

                                         -16-
Case No. 5-22-23

distracted.’” Simms at ¶ 30, quoting Jenkins v. Ohio Dept. of Rehab. & Corr., 10th

Dist. Franklin No. 12AP-787, 2013-Ohio-5106, ¶ 16.

       {¶33} Nevertheless, “‘attendant circumstances do not include any

circumstance existing at the moment of a fall, unless the individual was distracted

by an unusual circumstance created by the property owner.’” Novik v. Kroger Co.,

3d Dist. Marion No. 9-11-21, 2011-Ohio-5737, ¶ 18, quoting Stewart v. AMF

Bowling Ctrs., Inc., 3d Dist. Hancock No. 5-10-16, 2010-Ohio-5671, ¶ 15.

       {¶34} In their memorandum in opposition the defendants’ motion for

summary judgment, the Coldrens alleged that (1) the “layout in front of the store

creates the illusion that there is a curb-cut to provide a level transition from the

parking lot onto the sidewalk”; (2) “[a]pproaching customers’ attention is naturally

drawn to the doors in order to decipher how to enter the store”; and (3) “there was

no paint or makings on the curb ledge to notify people that it is not a smooth

transition from the parking lot up to the sidewalk and into the store.” (Emphasis

sic.) (Doc. No. 49).

       {¶35} Considering each of the circumstances alleged by the Coldrens, we

conclude that there is no genuine issue of material fact that attendant circumstances

did not lessen the open and obvious nature of the curb. In other words, based on the

facts presented, there is no triable issue as to whether Paulette was distracted from

exercising the degree of care an ordinary person would have exercised to avoid the

                                        -17-
Case No. 5-22-23

danger.    Critically, the evidence unequivocally demonstrates that Paulette

abandoned her duty to look where she was walking. Accord Carnes, 2011-Ohio-

4467, at ¶ 26. Indeed, “[t]here is a paramount duty upon a pedestrian to look where

he or she is walking.” Id. at ¶ 26. See also Simms, 2022-Ohio-388, at ¶ 27 (asserting

that “appellant also had an affirmative duty to watch where he was walking”). In

particular, “[l]edges, cracks, and lips in sidewalks and other paved surfaces are

common hazards faced by millions of pedestrians each day. For this reason,

pedestrians have a duty to look where they are walking.”            Carnes at ¶ 27.

Consequently, contrary to the Coldrens’ argument regarding the appearance of the

curb, we are not persuaded that the curb is anything other than a regularly

encountered, ordinary, or common circumstance.

       {¶36} Importantly, Paulette testified that that she was not looking where she

was walking. Compare Simms at ¶ 27 (concluding that “appellant’s testimony that

he was not paying attention to where he was walking established that he had not

taken proper precautionary measures to avoid the alleged hazard”). Indeed, Paulette

testified that she would have seen the curb if she was looking where she was

walking. See Lydic, 2002-Ohio-5001, ¶ 10 (“Even in cases in which the plaintiff

did not actually notice the condition until after he or she fell, this court has found

no duty to exist in cases where the plaintiff could have seen the condition if he or

she had looked”).

                                        -18-
Case No. 5-22-23

       {¶37} Moreover, Paulette testified that she instead focused her attention on

Readmore’s entrance doors, which the Coldrens contend represent an attendant

circumstance. Compare Carnes at ¶ 26 (announcing that “[i]f the pedestrian

exercises the option to focus his or her attention on a garage sale rather than on the

surface upon which he or she is traveling, then the pedestrian abandons the duty to

look”). However, any contention that Readmore’s entrance doors constitute an

attendant circumstance is unavailing. Importantly, the record reveals that there is

nothing unusual about Readmore’s entrance doors that “would have commanded

the attention of an ordinary pedestrian, and thus possibly constitute an attendant

circumstance.” Id. Notwithstanding the ordinary nature of Readmore’s entrance

doors, Paulette chose to focus her attention on Readmore’s entrance to determine

which door to enter rather than to look where she was walking. Compare id.

(concluding that “Bethel chose to focus her attention on the garage sale to determine

whether she wanted to patronize the sale” and that “Bethel’s choice was completely

volitional and not beyond her control”). Consequently, Paulette’s decision to focus

her attention on Readmore’s entrance doors rather than where she was walking does

not constitute an attendant circumstance. Accord Carnes at ¶ 26.

       {¶38} Nevertheless, the Coldrens suggest that the absence of “paint or

markings on the curb ledge” constitute an attendant circumstance because the color

variation would have drawn Paulette’s attention to the height differential. The

                                        -19-
Case No. 5-22-23

Coldrens’ argument is without merit. Our sister courts of appeal have concluded

that “unpainted” hazards that neither blend nor contrast with the parking lot are not

an attendant circumstance. See Rawlings v. Springwood Apts. of Columbus, Ltd.,

10th Dist. Franklin No. 18AP-359, 2018-Ohio-4845, ¶ 35; Esterman v. Speedway,

L.L.C., 1st Dist. Hamilton No. C-140287, 2015-Ohio-659, ¶ 14 (“Although the

concrete parking barrier was the same color as the parking lot and the sole one of

its kind in the lot, parking barriers situated directly in front of a storefront * * * are

safety measures regularly encountered by business invitees”).                 Here, the

photographic evidence unequivocally demonstrates that, although unpainted, the

curb contrasts with the darker coloring of the parking lot. Accord Rawlings at ¶ 35

(“The photographic evidence here shows the wheel stop, although unpainted,

contrasted with the black pavement of the parking lot.”).

       {¶39} Furthermore, Paulette averred that she had patronized Readmore’s

“approximately ten times in the preceding five years” and “was aware that there was

a ‘curb cut’ directly in front of the doors to the store.” (Doc. No. 49, Ex. A).

However, Paulette averred that she “was unaware that the curb cut was not level

with the parking lot” because she “simply never noticed it before or the day that

[she] fell.” (Id.). Notwithstanding Paulette’s particular awareness of the hazard,

Paulette had an opportunity to observe the condition. See Jackson v. Pike Cty. Bd.

of Commrs., 4th Dist. Pike No. 10CA805, 2010-Ohio-4875, ¶ 23 (concluding that

                                          -20-
Case No. 5-22-23

Jackson “had an opportunity to observe the condition” since she “had traversed this

same route without incident on her way into the building”). Thus, the absence of

paint or markings on the curb is not an attendant circumstance that enhanced the

danger to Paulette or contributed to her fall.

       {¶40} In sum, even construing the evidence in favor of the Coldrens, we

conclude that the curb is an open and obvious hazard and that there are no attendant

circumstances, viewed individually or collectively, which would warrant an

exception to the open and obvious doctrine. Accord Rawlings at ¶ 38; Simms, 2022-

Ohio-388, at ¶ 34. As a result, there is no genuine issue of material fact that the

defendants did not owe a duty to the Coldrens to warn Paulette of the danger posed

by the curb. Therefore, the trial court did not err by granting summary judgment in

favor of the defendants.

       {¶41} The Coldrens’ assignment of error is overruled.

       {¶42} Having found no error prejudicial to the appellant herein in the

particulars assigned and argued, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

                                                                Judgment Affirmed

WILLAMOWSKI and WALDICK, J.J., concur.

/jlr

                                         -21-
Case No. 5-22-23

                   -22-