Trial News
Verdicts & Settlements: Premises Liability
Failure to secure apartment complex
July 25, 2019After returning home from work, Twyaun Jones sat in front of his apartment and had a beer. As he turned to walk back into his apartment, an intruder came up from behind and shot him in the back. Jones, 37, now suffers from paraplegia as a result of the shooting.
He sued the owner of the property, alleging negligent security. The plaintiff claimed that despite police reports that described the property as a high-crime and drug-prone area, the defendant took no steps to secure the property. Suit did not claim lost income.
The defense asserted that although its manager had known of individuals loitering on the property, he had no knowledge drugs were being sold there.
The parties settled for $1 million. The plaintiff’s medical liens totaled approximately $300,000.
Citation: Jones v. Myra Lee, Inc., No. 2018-025058 CA 01 (Fla. Cir. Ct. Miami-Dade Cnty. May 22, 2019).
Plaintiff counsel: AAJ member Douglas J. McCarron, Coral Gables, Fla.
Plaintiff experts: Michael D’Angelo, security, Miami; Darlene Carruthers, life care planning, Buffalo, N.Y.; and Gary Anderson, economics, Palm Beach Shores, Fla.
