The parents of a woman murdered at a hotel sued the hotel owner, alleging negligent security. A Florida jury has awarded them $12 million.
Facts & Allegations
On the morning of April 10, 2016, Yaimi Guevara Machado was found dead outside The Chesapeake Motel, in Hialeah, Florida. The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma and possible mechanical asphyxia.
Ms. Machado's parents sued the owner of the motel, The Waves of Hialeah Inc., alleging that the motel had negligent security.
The plaintiffs' counsel claimed among other things that there had been prior violent crimes at the motel and that the hotel had failed to warn guests about these crimes or provide a security guard outside the rooms on the morning Ms. Machado had been killed.
The motel's counsel called a security expert, who testified that the incident was not foreseeable and that the majority of the prior crimes on the premises had been non-violent and had taken place between people who had known each other.
Result
The jury found that The Waves of Hialeah was 100 percent liable for Ms. Machado's death. It also determined that the estate's damages totaled $12 million, which represented $6 million for pain and suffering for each parent.
The case is Machado v. The Waves of Hialeah, Inc., No. 2016-009731-CA-01 (Fla. Miami-Dade Cty. Cir.Ct. Dec. 4, 2017). Attorneys involved include: Christopher L. Marlowe; The Haggard Law Firm, P.A.; Coral Gables, FL, for Estate of Yaimi Guevara Machado; Jason R. Brenner; The Haggard Law Firm, P.A.; Coral Gables, FL, for Estate of Yaimi Guevara Machado; Heather M. Calhoon; Luks Santaniello Petrillo & Jones; Miami, FL, for Waves of Hialeah Inc.; Daniel J. Santaniello; Luks Santaniello Petrillo & Jones; Boca Raton, FL, for Waves of Hialeah Inc.
FC&S Legal Comment
This report is based on information that was provided by plaintiffs' and defense counsel. Additional information was gleaned from court documents.
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