ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orange County jury returned a verdict of over $644.7 million against the owners of a Winter Park bar years after a 57-year-old man fell down their staircase, leaving him partially quadriplegic, according to the Morgan & Morgan law firm.
In a release, officials with the firm said that the incident happened back in November 2017, when the man was leaving Park Social in Winter Park, located on the second story of a building built in 1926.
At the time, he fell down a flight of around 20 stairs, which attorneys said was overly dangerous.
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“During trial, the plaintiff’s attorneys demonstrated the dangerous condition of the staircase by pointing out several ways in which it was unsafe, including that the stairs were too narrow, too steep and had no grip tape on the treads,” the release reads. “And the handrails were inadequate.”
As a result of the fall, the 57-year-old suffered “catastrophic” injuries, including several fractures in his neck and skull. He now has no feeling from the chest down and essentially no movement in his legs, arms or torso, the release states.
The law firm also noted that he lost his senses of taste and smell.
“Our client’s injuries altered his life completely and permanently. He didn’t just lost his mobility, but also his identity.
This was a man that lived for the simple joys of gardening and cooking, passions that were ripped away from him the moment he stepped on those stairs. He will never work again, let alone move, taste or smell.
No amount of money can restore what he has lost, but we’re pleased that the jury saw the ruinous impacts of what happened to our client and held these businesses accountable for prioritizing convenience over safety."
Morgan & Morgan Attorney Brian McClain
The lawsuit was brought against Soho WP and BE-1 Concept Holdings, which owned and operated Social Park.
Now, the $644,751,855.08 verdict covers the following:
- $166 million for past pain and suffering
- $363 million for future pain and suffering
- $109.5 million awarded to the victim’s wife for loss of consortium and services
- $6,251,855 for medical expenses and lost earnings
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“This case is deeply personal to me,” Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan said. “My brother, Tim, lived his life as a quadriplegic after a tragic accident, so I have seen firsthand how an injury like this drastically and permanently changes a person’s and their family’s lives.”