Like many other large cities, West Palm Beach has its fair share of criminal activity. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports that Palm Beach County’s violent crime rate in 2019 was 390 per 100,000 residents. The good news is that’s a drop of about 5 percent from the year…
In Florida premises liability law, the “open and obvious doctrine” is one that states business owners can’t be held liable for open and obvious dangers – unless the owner should have anticipated harm despite the open and obvious condition. An “open and obvious danger” is one that creates a visible,…
An estimated 1 in 6 women in Florida will be victimized by sexual assault at least once in life, while 1 in 5 men will be victimized by some form of sexual violence other than rape. Although survivors can make the decision to report such actions to police, pursuing criminal…
A woman has filed a Florida negligent security lawsuit against owners of an apartment complex whom she says failed to protect her from a shooting that occurred after more than 1,100 calls for police assistance to the site. The Ocala Star Banner reports plaintiff was one of two innocent bystanders…
Violent crime has the potential to affect anyone. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports more than 33,000 arrests in 2019 for violent crimes, including battery, sexual assault, robbery and homicide. If you are injured as a result of a violent crime on another’s property, you may have grounds for…
Law.com recently reported a hotel agreed to a $4.75 million settlement paid to a slip-and-fall victim who suffered serious injury to her right knee. Although that sounds like a substantial sum, it begins to make more sense when you put it in the context of the exact circumstances of the…
Bars, festivals, nightclubs, concerts and cruises are required to use reasonable care in ensuring the safety of patrons – particularly if they are serving substantial or unlimited quantities of alcohol – in order to prevent South Florida injuries and wrongful deaths. According to The News-Herald, a man filed a Florida…
A golf club may be liable for a near-fatal wasp attack suffered by a patron in California, where an appellate court reversed a summary judgment in the golf club’s favor. Although this is an out-of-state case, it’s an important read given that Florida has more golf courses than any other…
In every negligence lawsuit in Florida, there are four basic elements plaintiffs need to prove: Defendant owed plaintiff a duty of care, defendant breached that duty, the breach caused plaintiff’s injuries and plaintiff suffered monetary damages (medical bills, lost wages, etc.) as a result. Slip-and-fall lawsuits in Florida, however, are…
Florida consistently has one of the highest percentages of properties with pools and hot tubs, with the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals reporting nearly 335,700 hot tubs in the state as of 2015, with an additional 9,400 being added annually. Many of these are prominent features at resorts, hotels,…