A young family was dining in a Mexican restaurant in San Diego, California. The mother and 4 year old daughter decided to visit the ladies room. The woman pulled the swing door to the ladies and opened it. The mother walked into the restroom and held the door open for her daughter. As the daughter walked through the doorway, the daughter was struck on the head with a heavy object and she fell to the ground. The door closer that was mounted onto the door frame and door became unattached and dropped onto the little girl's head. A lawsuit was filed.
Mike Panish received a call from the defense attorney who represented the restaurant owner's insurance company. This attorney wanted Mike to inspect the doorway and analyze the situation so he could determine whether he should fight the lawsuit or settle it. He wanted to know if his client was negligent, or if something else created the problem. As a well-known door expert witness, Mike Panish is frequently called by defense attorneys to help educate them on door related injuries and help them analyze their door cases.