Jury Awards $644 Million Verdict to Man Paralyzed by Dangerous Staircase at Central Florida Bar

Morgan & Morgan secures verdict after evidence revealed owners knew of dangerous conditions but restricted safe exit to "employees only”

[Orlando, FL] – An Orange County, FL jury has returned a $644,751,855.08 verdict against the owners of a Winter Park bar, holding them accountable for a catastrophic 2017 fall that left a 57-year-old man a partial quadriplegic. Represented by Morgan & Morgan, the plaintiff successfully demonstrated that the defendants knowingly funneled patrons down a dangerous staircase. The nine-figure verdict comes after a grueling trial in which the defense urged jurors to award the victim and his wife nothing for his life-altering injuries.

On November 25, 2017, the plaintiff was leaving Park Social in Winter Park, FL – which was located on the second story of a building constructed in 1926 – when he fell down a flight of approximately 20 stairs. 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, and that the handrails were inadequate. Video evidence at trial also showed that the plaintiff was descending the stairs carefully at the time of the fall. 

“Former employees at Park Social testified at trial that they knew how dangerous these stairs were and that patrons had fallen down them before,” said Morgan & Morgan attorney Nick Panagakis. “Park Social management also knew there was a second, safer staircase on the premises that allowed access to the bar, but designated it for employees only until the day after the catastrophic fall that paralyzed our client. The evidence in this case painted a crystal-clear picture for the jury that the defendants knew the dangers of this staircase and did not take steps to protect their customers.”

The plaintiff suffered catastrophic injuries in the fall, including multiple fractures in his neck and skull that rendered him a partial quadriplegic. He now has no feeling from the chest down and essentially no movement in his legs, arms, or torso. He also lost his senses of taste and smell. 

“Our client’s injuries altered his life completely and permanently. He didn’t just lose his mobility, but also his identity,” said Morgan & Morgan attorney Brian McClain. “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 attorneys Nick Panagakis, Brian McClain, Lawrence Gonzalez, Hannah Dantzler-Fleming, and Phillip Moeller represented the victim at trial. The $644,751,855.08 verdict covers:

• $166,000,000 for past pain and suffering
• $363,000,000 for future pain and suffering
• $109,500,000 total awarded to the victim’s wife for loss of consortium and services
• $6,251,855 for medical expenses and lost earnings

"This case is deeply personal to me. My brother, Tim, lived his life as a quadriplegic after a tragic incident, so I have seen firsthand how an injury like this drastically and permanently changes a person’s and their family’s lives,” said Morgan & Morgan founder, John Morgan. “This verdict isn't just a number. It represents the resources our client needs to live the rest of his life with dignity. We are proud of our team for demanding full accountability for this preventable tragedy."

The defendants were Soho WP, LLC and BE-1 Concepts Holdings, LLC, which owned and operated Park Social. The case was heard by Judge Kevin Weiss in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County, Florida, Case No. 2018-CA-003600.