3 Bizarre Florida Injury Lawsuits
3 Bizarre Florida Injury Lawsuits
If the United States were a family, Florida would probably be seen as the crazy cousin. With plenty of crime stories from the sunshine state making the news, it is often viewed as the most disorderly place in the country. But despite its “Florida Man” news stories, do these bizarre situations actually turn into lawsuits? We’ve gathered three unusual personal injury lawsuits from Florida that will leave you scratching your head.Sea World: Killer WhaleOrlando, 1999When people go to Sea World to see the animals, they expect a safe experience. And they mostly get one! But what would happen if someone decided to sneak in after hours and swim with the killer whales? Well, they would probably be killed.That’s exactly what happened to 27 year old Daniel Dukes in Florida. Despite him breaking the law by hiding and staying in the facility after closing, Mr. Dukes’ family decided to sue Sea World in a wrongful death case. They argued that there were no explicit warnings that someone could die from entering the whale’s tank. In addition, due to puncture wounds found on Dukes’ body, they argued that he was pulled into the tank by the whale. Still, the man was trespassing, and the suit was dropped.Goose FightWest Palm Beach, 2003When Darlene Griffin stepped between a three-foot tall goose and her four-year old son, she did not expect to end up in the hospital with a broken tailbone. However, when she tried to defend her son from the goose, it bit her on the foot. This caused Ms. Griffin, 30, to allegedly fall down and break her tailbone. She decided to sue the county for allowing geese to roam free in a public park and not providing warning signs about their aggression.The county argued that they have no obligation to do that. Eventually the county did remove the goose, as well as 22 others who had become unruly.No Cheese, No Discount?Fort Lauderdale, 2018
Cut-out of Ronald McDonald hiding in the bushes by a house; photo by Erik McLean on Unsplash
About Sharon Feldman
Sharon Feldman is a legal and safety writer based in San Diego, California. When she’s not writing about the law, Sharon spends time with her husband and dog by watching movies, cooking together, and remodeling their home.