Ruby Henderson v. United States of America

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RUBY HENDERSON, Case No. CV 19-479 DSF (JCx)

Plaintiff,

FINDINGS OF FACT AND

v. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AFTER

COURT TRIAL

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al., 15 Defendants. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 INTRODUCTION 2 On January 22, 2019, Ruby Henderson filed a Complaint against the United States 3 and the United States Air Force (USAF)1 under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. 4 § 2671, et seq. Dkt. 1 (Compl.). Henderson asserts a single claim for negligence 5 arising from a trip-and-fall incident at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Commissary on 6 July 14, 2016. Henderson claims she tripped on a “buckle” in the floor mats at the exit 7 from the Commissary. 8 The United States argued in its opening statement and closing argument that in 9 order to prevail, Henderson was required to establish that (1) the buckle in the floor mats 10 constituted an unreasonably dangerous condition, (2) tripping on the buckle was the 11 cause of her fall,…