$465,000 Settlement for Woman Injured in Fall An Oceanside woman suffered severe fractures after falling from her home's second-story window. The 51-year-old plaintiff stepped out of her bedroom window onto a narrow pot shelf in order to reach the outside glass which needed cleaning. The pot shelf was enclosed by a short wrought-iron railing. After cleaning the window, she leaned against the railing as she was climbing back inside. When the railing suddenly swung open like a gate, the woman lost her balance and fell backward onto her garage and then dropped 12 feet to her driveway. The fall resulted in fractures in her knee, shoulder, and face. The housing developer and subcontractor responsible for the iron railing were both named as defendants in the suit. They contended local building codes required the railing to open in order to provide adequate fire escape, and further argued that they could not foresee an individual climbing outside onto the pot shelf as the plaintiff had done. The matter was resolved through mediation.