$3,250,000 settlement – Premises liability – lack of security results in shooting

When people think of a visit to South Florida, they envision palm trees, beaches and water sports.  The last thing they would expect is a violent encounter with a car thief.  Sadly, many who visit the state return home in a worse condition than when they arrived.

A young man visiting from Italy was shot and paralyzed when thieves attempted to steal his rental car.  As the young man walked outside, he witnessed criminals attempting to take off with the rental car he was using while staying in Florida.  They shot him and one of the bullets severed his spinal cord.

Attorney John Elliott Leighton represented this man, whose trip to the United States was a graduation gift from his parents.  Leighton obtained a confidential settlement of $3,250,000 shortly before trial after Leighton proved that the area was dangerously unsafe and reasonable security was lacking at the apartment complex where the young man was shot. He recovered against the landowners and those responsible for maintaining the property.

By proving that there was a failure to provide reasonable security at the apartment, Mr. Leighton could connect that to the attempted carjacking and ultimate shooting of our client.

 

Disclaimer: The information about past verdicts and settlements of the firm’s cases are based on the unique facts of each case. These amounts reflect the gross recovery in each case (before attorneys fees, expenses and medical costs are deducted). Although these results were obtained by our firm, they may not indicate the success or value of any other case. By clicking on Verdicts and Settlements you are acknowledging that each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. The information contained here has not been reviewed or approved by The Florida Bar.