Rhode Island High Court Rules State Not Liable for Cliff Walk Fall

The state Supreme Court has let stand a jury’s decision that the state is not liable for damages related to a New York City man’s fall in 2000 from Newport’s Cliff Walk that left him paralyzed.

The Providence Journal reports that lawyers for Simcha Berman asked the Supreme Court to order a new trial. They argued that the lower court judge erred by mentioning to jurors that Newport settled.

They also claimed the judge was wrong to refuse to acknowledge a previous high court ruling that the Preservation Society of Newport County and other private landowners were not responsible for maintaining the walk or injuries.

The high court upheld the lower court’s conclusions that there was sufficient evidence to justify the verdict and the state played an “extremely limited” role with the Cliff Walk.

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