Victim Who Was Assaulted at Maderia Beach Bar Awarded $12.475 Million Verdict for Injuries

[St. Petersburg, FL] – A Pinellas County jury has awarded a $12,475,000 verdict to a 69-year-old man who was physically assaulted at Saltwater Hippie Bar in Madeira Beach, Florida in 2022. The plaintiff was represented by Morgan & Morgan attorneys Joseph Kopacz, Michelle Lambo, Ryan Carlson and Bora S. Kayan. The defense made no offer prior to trial. 

On March 11, 2022, the plaintiff was a patron at Saltwater Hippie Bar with his dog when he was approached by a man who, testimony showed, had already been asked to leave because he was visibly intoxicated. The man started playing with the plaintiff’s dog, fell over, and then attacked the plaintiff, causing him to fall and hit his head on the concrete wall. The plaintiff suffered a traumatic injury and brain bleed from the incident. Morgan & Morgan attorneys successfully argued that the owners and management of Saltwater Hippie Bar failed to adequately provide a safe environment for their patrons, thus contributing to the plaintiff’s injuries. 

“This is a vindicating result for our client, who was attacked by someone that the establishment had already deemed too intoxicated to be on the premises,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Joseph Kopacz. “The injuries our client suffered in that preventable attack have permanently changed his life. He is a business owner and a respected member of his community, and now struggles with daily tasks because of the ongoing effects of his injury. We are pleased that the jury served justice and that our client and his family can now begin to move forward from this traumatic experience.”

The jury found the plaintiff was subjected to comparative fault, contributing 5% to the cause of the injuries, which resulted in a final verdict of $11,851,250 for the plaintiff.

The case was heard by Judge W. Douglas Baird in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit In and For Pinellas County, Florida Civil Division. Case No. 2022-02386-CI. The defense was represented by attorneys Bill Kembler of Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. and Mike Grimley of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith.