Former Hollywood, Florida baker settles Miami-Dade night club slip and fall case for $80,000.00

Author: Attorney Jason Macri

A 34 year-old Hollywood baker suffered a serious knee injury when she slipped and fell at a popular Miami-Dade County night club. She was out at a happy hour with friends and co-workers and had just ordered a drink from the bar when she slipped and fell in a puddle of water that accumulated in the area. She slipped and struck the floor with both knees, immediately experiencing extreme pain mostly in her left knee. Embarrassed, she tried to get up off the floor as quickly as possible, walking it off and then taking a seat on a nearby couch. Several of her friends witnessed the fall and asked to speak with the manager. The manager arrived and offered the group a complementary bottle of champagne, which they accepted. Our client, however, didn’t get to enjoy the champagne as the pain became intolerable.

After falling, our client noticed that the puddle which caused her fall appeared to be coming from an ice bucket which was attached to the bar. The bucket appeared to have a leak, causing water to accumulate next to the bar. Her friends noticed it as well but nobody thought to photograph the scene, not realizing they may need to prove it later. Our client later went to the hospital and was ultimately diagnosed with a torn MCL.

The night club, a popular South Florida chain, closed the location where our client fell just weeks after her fall. By the time she hired our office, there was no way for our attorneys to inspect the location. Defendant employees were also difficult to find as many were terminated upon closing and did their best to dodge subpoenas and investigators. This case turned into a typical “he said/she said” case. Our client was alleging negligence and the Defendant was going to deny it. Our biggest issue, as it is with almost any slip and fall case, is that it would be very difficult to prove the Defendant had notice of the dangerous condition, which is a requirement under Florida law.

A lawsuit was filed and eventually the matter was set for trial. The Defendant denied liability the whole way, arguing our client fell due to her own negligence. Weeks before trial, our attorneys were able to negotiate an $80,000.00 settlement for our client. This figure enabled her to pay all of her outstanding medical bills and also receive compensation for her pain and suffering in the past and future. Though this case would be extremely difficult to prove, our client was able to achieve a fair settlement and expressed relief knowing she would not be required to face trial.