A 49-year-old golf pro shop employee was severely beaten on Monday after he recognized a Rolling Hills Golf Club member behaving oddly outside the closed shop and opened the door to assist him, the Ledger reports. A Seminole County sheriff’s arrest report reveals that the victim sustained a broken nose, blood on the brain, an eye injury and various cuts after being assaulted with a pair of scissors and a golf club. The alleged perpetrator is being held without bail and faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and a host of other charges ranging from burglary to aggravated battery.
Our Hollywood, Florida personal injury attorneys know that incidents of workplace homicide have steadily declined since reaching an all-time national high in 1994 when 1,080 work-related homicides were reported. In 2009, workplace homicides reached an national low of 521.
Florida has seen a similar and ongoing downward trend in both fatal work-related injuries and workplace homicides since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording data in 1992. In Florida alone, the number of workplace fatalities dropped from 291 to 243 between 2008 and 2009 and the number of work-related homicides dropped from 41 in 2008 to 30 in 2009.
Nine out of 10 workplace fatalities (243) were men, while just 23 women were killed on the job. Of those, 7 were killed by a violent act or assault. More than half the victims were white and 65 percent were between the age of 25 and 54 at their time of death.
In Florida, workplace homicides reached a peak in 1994 with 78 murders. Since 1992, 933 Florida workers have been murdered while on the job, averaging about 50 homicide-related workplace deaths per year. Homicides are the second leading cause of death in the workplace and represent 12 percent of all work-related fatalities in both Florida and the U.S.
Business owners have an obligation to their patrons and employees to provide a safe work environment free of hazards – including protecting staff from potential acts of violence. Employing a security officer or establishing safety check protocols and equipment – like video cameras – can help protect staff as well as guests from assault. Negligent security, premise liability, personal injury or wrongful death claims may all arise from an act of violence in the workplace. An employee may also be entitled to Florida workers’ compensation benefits.
The West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers at Freeman & Mallard have been successfully and aggressively representing accident victims and their families in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Pierce /Port St. Lucie for years. Call us today to schedule a no-obligation appointment to discuss your case at 1-800-529-2368.