Jury Awards Man $4.9 Million for Injuries in Accident at St. Augustine Hotel
This accident could have happened to anyone at anytime. A California man and his wife were on vacation in St. Augustine in April of 2009 and were in the lobby of the historic Casa Monica Hotel when a 21-year-old car valet inadvertently left a Honda Accord in reverse instead of park. The car came crashing through the double doors of the lobby of the Casa Monica, injuring the 54-year-old California man and four others. The man was pinned against a wall for about a half hour and suffered permanent injuries, eventually losing his job as the general manager of a San Diego restaurant, according to his attorney.
It took a St. Johns County jury just over three hours to deliberate and on Thursday evening, July 28, they awarded the man $4.9 million to cover his medical expenses, past and future earnings, and pain and suffering. The jury also awarded his wife $300,000 for the loss of comfort from her husband. The 21-year-old valet worked for Standard Parking Corp. which has offices around the U.S. and presumably had insurance to cover such a tragic circumstance.
Our condolences go out to the man and his wife for the events that led to these injuries. No amount of money can bring back one’s health, but it helps pay the bills and recover from lost income now and in the future.
In addition, the banquet captain at the hotel also filed suit against the hotel and Standard Parking after he suffered internal injuries, four operations and was in need of a liver transplant. The status of that suit is not mentioned in this article by The Florida Times-Union.
Under Florida law, someone visiting a place that is opened to the public should expect that premise is safe from hazards. If the owner-operator of the place of business has not secured the facility, a premises liability lawsuit can be filed to re-coup the financial aspects of an injury that results, however, finances can never restore one’s health. If you are injured in a public place that should have been made safe for visitors, the personal injury attorneys in St. Augustine at Farah & Farah will discuss your accident in a confidential and complimentary meeting. Our doors are always opened. Call us at 1-800-533-3555.
Sources: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-07-31/story/49-million-award-st-augustine-casa-monica-hotel-car-injury#ixzz1ThVociko and http://www.news4jax.com/news/19609236/detail.html
