July, 2014 - Madalon Law

Natives and visitors alike enjoy the beaches and nightlife in Florida, often including the “night club experience” in bars and nightclubs throughout Broward, Miami and Palm Beach. Usually, this means a fun night of hanging out with friends, drinking, meeting fun people, and dancing. Unfortunately, there can be a dark side to these clubs as well, as evidenced by the growing number of dangerous night club incidents such as drunken brawls, stabbings, and even shootings.

Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys know such incidents have led to increased security measures at many bars and clubs, and have brought night club safety and security into the legal spotlight. The owners of Florida clubs and bars have the duty to keep their patrons safe, and when injuries happen, those owners may be held liable for compensating victims under the law of premises liability. In one recent Florida court case regarding inadequate security, a night club patron who was severely beaten won an award of over one million dollars from the club owners. The plaintiff’s argument was that the security provided at the nightclub was inadequate, and that the club owner’s negligence contributed to the assault and battery that he suffered there.

Inadequate Security Laws in Florida

The state of Florida has premises liability laws regarding “inadequate security,” to protect patrons and visitors at businesses and public places from criminal or violent activity. Although these laws do not require that the owner of a nightclub or bar protect its patrons against any conceivable harm from third parties, they are legally required to take measures to protect patrons from reasonably foreseeable harm.
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According to recent traffic safety statistics, more than 6 million car accidents occur on U.S. roadways each year. Of those, 2.5 million are rear-end car accidents. Although the majority of “rear-enders” are not fatal, they can result in a wide range of injuries – some of which can be debilitating and costly.

Neck and spinal injuries are the most frequent injuries arising from rear end car accidents, but there are many other possible injuries as well. Common injuries in rear end accidents include:

Back / spine injuries – The force of the impact from behind when someone rear-ends your vehicle can cause compression of the spine and damage to the disks in the lower back. One result of this can be a condition called disk herniation, which can be excruciatingly painful and cause both immediate soreness and long-term pain.

Neck / shoulder injuries – About one out of every five people involved in a rear-end vehicle accident suffers what is generally known as “whiplash.” This is a non-medical term describing the stiffness, soreness, and pain experienced in the upper spine, shoulders, and neck when they are violently moved in a sudden manner (known as hyperextension and hyperflexion). Whiplash injuries can remain painful for months or even years, limiting your everyday activities and range of motion.
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