Florida updates in category: Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)

A nine-year-old boy walking home, Saturday afternoon, suffered a dog bite by an American Bull Dog on Mystic Avenue, in New Port Richie.The boy was transported by helicopter to the hospital with a dog bite on the leg. The dog was taken into custody by Pasco Animal Services while Pasco Sheriff's Office and Animal Services continues to investigate the incident.If you or a loved one has suffered a...

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Sadly another lawsuit has been filed here in Central Florida related to another case of alleged clergy molestation or abuseThe mother of a Lake County boy who was sexually abused by his pastor has sued the clergyman, two area churches and two Baptist groups, maintaining they should have protected her son.The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages for the boy's continuing psychotherapy...

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The City of Ocala appealed a jury verdict awarding $30,000 to Cathleen Donner for pain and suffering and medical expenses after she tripped and fell on uneven slabs of sidewalk in downtown Ocala. Donner suffered a fractured nose, broken teeth and knee injuries that later required surgery as a result of the fall. When the jury ruled in her favor in March, she thought her case against the City...

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A woman has filed a premises liability lawsuit against Wal-Mart due to the placement of a push/pull cart in the store. She alleges that she fell due to a push/pull cart that she could not see. According to the suit, Wal-Mart failed to keep its aisles clear of items that could cause a fall, and the cart in question was placed in an unsafe area "adjacent to or underneath a table of plants,"...

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Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer pool season and it is important to keep yourself and loved ones safe. Drowning is the leading cause of death for young children in Florida and many other states. Thousands of children have died or suffered serious brain damage because of defective drains in pools. The Haggard Law Firm has developed a national and international niche...

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The families of four victims filed negligent security lawsuits against the owners of the Blue Lakes Villas apartment complex yesterday. 15-year-old Rashad Bosfield was assaulted on January 15, 2007 and died after being shot in a corridor between apartments at the Blue Lakes Villas Complex. Rashad dreamed of becoming a firefighter and enjoyed helping people.Less than one month later 30-year-old...

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Mail carriers hoping to escape dog bites should avoid South Florida.Thursday kicks of Dog Bite Awareness Week and the Post Office is releasing helpful information on where the biggest problems are for carriers.South Florida recorded 71 dog bites in 2006, the fifth worst spot in the nation. The New York metropolitan area recorded no dog bites of mail carriers. While at the other end of the scale,...

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Small towns and villages to taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of its citizens by requiring landlords to attend a mandatory crime seminar. The Crime Free Housing Program is designed to help residents, owners and managers of rental property keep drugs and other illegal activity off their property.Under the program, all landlords, not only of multi-family rental units but...

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The family of former University of Miami football player, Bryan Pata, will receive a $2 million settlement from the apartment complex in which the shooting death occurred. Pata had returned to his Kendall apartment on November 7, parked in his designated space and began walking toward his door when he was shot and killed. ''It was totally dark,'' said Haggard, of Haggard Law Firm in Coral...

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A mixed breed dog bit a 14-month-old boy in Jackson, Michigan last week. The victim was at his grandmother's house when her dog may have tried to get a chip the toddler was eating. The dog bite was on his face. The victim was taken to Foote Hospital, then transported to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Heins said. The boy was released from the hospital Monday and is...

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A Hampton, Virginia jury awarded a Williamsburg woman more than $12.2 million in a slip-and-fall case. In August 2003, Annette Ritzmann was walking into what was then a Miller Mart on the corner of Lafayette Street and Richmond Road to buy a newspaper and pay for gas when she slipped on a small puddle caused by a leaky awning. She landed on her chest and chin, and a witness would later say the...

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A Florida couple was arrested after their pit bull, bit a veterinary worker.The couple has been charged with culpable negligence and keeping a dangerous animal.The dog, Kane, was confiscated in February, after he attacked an animal control officer and tore his pants. But a judge returned the dog agreeing with the owners and their lawyers, that the dog had been provoked into biting the animal...

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Last Tuesday, the family of Bradley Timpf filed a negligent security lawsuit against the owners of Houston's restaurant in North Miami Beach. Dr. Bradley Timpf was found shot in the parking lot of Houston's Restaurant at 17455 Biscayne Blvd. at about 8 p.m. on Dec. 10. The shooting has not been solved.The lawsuit alleges that, on the night of the shooting, the restaurant had inadequate lighting...

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I don't think there is a media outlet that hasn't covered the tragic events that took place at Virginia Tech early this week. The outpouring of support touched us all for those students and professors that were brutally shot and killed. What I found particularly interesting was the investigation that has been launched by the governor of Virginia (at the request of Virginia Tech) to look into...

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After attacking a woman at a dog show in Melbourne, Florida, Animal Control agents took a large Akita into custody.The dog attacked a 70-year-old woman injuring her left ankle. Witnesses told police the dog started to drag the woman before many men pulled the animal off her. Captain Brown, spokesman for Brevard County Animal Services, said there was no clear reason for the attack.This dog breed...

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