Florida construction companies often have to deal with civil lawsuits long after their work on a property is done. However, sometimes the construction process itself can result in alleged injuries that can open these companies up to litigation.
Last month, an Orlando woman living in the Nassau Bay Apartments filed a lawsuit alleging that she slipped on construction debris that was left on the stairs of her building and suffered multiple injuries as a result. She filed a lawsuit against the construction company as well as the company that owns the apartment building. According to the lawsuit, the defendants did not maintain the apartment building in a reasonably safe manner.
The plaintiff claims that in late December of 2013, she slipped and fell on the stairs leading down from her third floor apartment. She says that construction debris had been left on the stairs and that the light above the staircase where she fell wasn’t working at the time. According to the lawsuit, the woman injured her arm, leg, back and neck in the fall.
The plaintiff is seeking damages and legal costs. She has requested a jury trial.
Construction work can present an inconvenience to people living in a property. However, they should never be exposed to potentially dangerous situations. All it takes is one worker to fail to place warning signs around an area under construction or thoroughly clean up at the end of the day to cause an injury that can be costly to a company, both in money and reputation.
It’s essential for companies to have experienced legal guidance to separate frivolous lawsuits from those that need to be settled to everyone’s satisfaction.
Source: Florida Record, “Nassau Bay Apartments tenant alleges construction materials caused fall,” Jenie Mallari-Torres, June 22, 2017