A new lawsuit claims that Levine and Prinsloo denied access to the balcony they wanted decorated – except by an “insufficient” ladder.

A former employee is suing Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, claiming she was severely injured on the job due to their negligence. Court documents obtained by The Blast show that Shana Kallen was working as a decorator at Levine and Prinsloo’s home in Montecito, California in 2023 when she suffered a traumatic brain injury and other “severe bodily harm.” The nature of this case means that it may go before a jury rather than being settled privately.

Kallen worked for a specialty nursery called Inner Gardens Inc. when she was assigned to decorate Levine and Prinsloo’s home. She arranged plants and flowers on their outdoor patio, and they requested a similar service on their second-floor balcony as well. However, the crux of the case is that Kallen claims she was not given a safe and reasonable way to access the balcony. She was forced to use a ladder against her own professional judgement, which led to a catastrophic fall.

According to the court documents, the only way to access the balcony from indoors was through Levine and Prinsloo’s primary bedroom. However, Kallen said that the house manager, Sam Schamberg, told her she could not use that entrance. The filing included a text from Schlamberg which said: “Behati is going to lay down in her room [and] make sure no one goes through the bedroom to the patio, ladder access only.” Schlamberg then “arranged or set up a ladder” beneath the balcony, leaving Kallen no other way of getting down.

The lawsuit said that that Schlamberg’s ladder was insufficient, and was set up “negligently, carelessly, and recklessly.” To reach it, Kallen had to step over a 42-inch high railing and then walk across the roof to clamber down. Even then, the ladder was too short, causing Kallen to fall to the concrete ground below. She remembers landing “violently,” with her head hitting the hard surface. This left Kallen with a brain injury, which she said continues to cause her “great mental, physical, emotional, and nervous pain.”

Kallen is seeking at least $25,000 in damages, as well as coverage for her medical costs, incidental expenses, and her legal fees. She also wants payment for the work she missed during her treatment and work she expects to miss going forward since she cannot work at her full capacity. The lawsuit asks the court to offer “any relief it deems just and proper.” Kallen reportedly requested a jury trial specifically, which may be granted under the California Code of Civil Procedure.

So far, Levine and Prinsloo have not commented publicly on this lawsuit. It’s unclear when the legal process might move forward.