Articles Posted in Premise Liability

A Palm Beach work accident sent a man to the hospital after he fell 30 feet inside a water tank, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Fall Accidents at work are one of the leading causes of employee injuries nationwide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue said the man was working at the county’s water plant on Pinehurst Drive, just west of Jog Road. Details of his injuries were not available but he was reportedly transported to the hospital with broken bones.

Employers have an obligation to provide harnesses and other necessary safety gear for employees who are working at height. A worker who is injured on the job is entitled to Florida workers’ compensation benefits, regardless of who was at fault. Such benefits are designed to pay for medical expenses, lost wages and other costs associated with a work accident. In other cases, where a personal injury or wrongful death is caused by the negligence of a third party, such as a subcontractor or property owner, a lawsuit may be filed seeking additional compensation.

In still other cases, a defective product lawsuit may be filed if dangerous or defective equipment contributed to a serious or fatal accident while on the job.

In 2009, the government reports 579 employees were killed in fall accidents. The overall number of serious and fatal work accidents has declined along with the struggling economy. Fall accidents killed 814 employees in 2007.
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What started with a brawl between two minors waiting in a movie ticket line quickly spread to a melee involving hundreds of teens gathered at Aventura Mall Saturday night, the Miami Herald reports. Before the chaos was quelled, mall security and dozens of law enforcement officers from different agencies around Miami-Dade descended on the crowd. Twelve minors were arrested. Taser stun guns were used on four.

Three juveniles were charged with felonies and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center for processing and the rest were released to their parents. This is the second time in five years minors were charged due to incidents involving mall security, law enforcement and Taser stun guns at Aventura. In both incidents, law enforcement and juveniles sustained minor injuries.

Mall management and property owners have a legal obligation to ensure a safe environment for patrons and employees. A serious premises liability injury was fortunately avoided in the Saturday brawl, which ultimately involved hundreds of children and adults. An injury due to premise liability or negligent security can occur at any time as a result of a host of unsafe conditions, including inadequate crowd management and control.

Experienced South Florida premise liability attorneys with Freeman & Mallard understand the complexities of such litigation and are dedicated to fighting for the rights of victims and their families in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce and the surrounding area.

The day after the incident Aventura Mall was seeing a steady stream of business as usual. When interviewed, mall shoppers were equally concerned and unfazed. Mall management and police are set to meet this week to discuss Saturday night’s events.
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