When many people think of Florida, they think of sunshine and beautiful beaches, and the many tourist attractions, such as Disney World. Yet, one of Florida’s most notorious and plentiful residents—the alligator—is something that both visitors and property owners alike simply cannot ignore.
Unfortunately, the presence of more than one million alligators in our sunshine state can sometimes take a deadly turn, as recently highlighted by a Washington Post article. Alligators on property can not only be a serious premises liability issue, but also involve personal injury and/or wrongful death concerns.
Two-Year-Old Killed In Alligator Attack on Property
Sadly, that was the case at Disney World last year, where the fatal attack of an alligator on a two-year-old child raised some serious questions, especially in inquiries focusing on just what kind of information Disney World had concerning the number and danger of alligators on its property, as well as what (if any) notice was provided to its visitors about these dangers.
As more and more information has emerged, it is clear that Disney was well aware of just how many alligators were on its property. Just between May 2006 and August 2015, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission reportedly removed more than 220 alligators from that specific property. After 2015, the number of captures and removals increased to more than 83 per year following the June 2016 fatal incident with the child. And in just two years in the state of Florida, approximately 16,000 alligators were trapped and removed from properties near people.
In fact, just a few days before the child was killed, six alligators were taken out of the park; four of them at least six feet or larger. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts have what’s known as a “Target Harvest Area permit” in working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to remove nuisance alligators four feet and longer that pose a threat to people and/or pets. The Commission allows private trappers to do what they want with these alligators, which also raises some concerns, as there appears to be no evidence that the agency is tracking them to make sure they don’t end up back in a location which allows them to, once again, become dangerous to people.
Perhaps of most concern is the fact that before the boy was killed, Disney World essentially had zero signs up warning its visitors that alligators were present.
Considerable Damages and Court Settlements
There is no question that in incidents like these, litigation and court settlements can be considerable, given that Disney knew of the pending danger and failed to take reasonable precautions to not only protect visitors, but warn them of the dangers.
If you have been injured—or a loved one was killed—due to a defect or hazard on property, you should speak with an experienced attorney in this area as soon as possible. Justice requires that you and your family receive some compensation for the pain that you’ve been through. Contact our experienced Boca Raton personal injury attorneys at Lavalle, Brown & Ronan today to find out how we can help.
For more information and in depth analysis, please contact Attorney Ken Ronan at kronan@bocalaw.com and Case Manager Richard Bagdasarian at rbagdasarian@bocalaw.com.
Resource:
washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/11/03/disney-knew-its-park-was-full-of-alligators-it-caught-hundreds-before-a-boy-was-killed/?utm_term=.ad3db72d0763
