TAMPA - The owner of rental homes in Valrico faces negligence charges in the Hillsborough County Circuit Court after a man allegedly drowned in of the rental homes' pools, according to documents filed on February 24.
Plaintiff Robert Hines represents the estate of Jerome Speights III, who was invited in December of 2019 to the rental owned by defendant Progress Residential Bridge Borrower and managed by defendant Dennis Vazquez.
According to the suit, Speights fell into the pool due to a lack of a pool fence or pool door exit alarm, and drowned.
Speights' estate sued the defendants for wrongful death due to negligence of progress, negligence and wrongful death due to negligence per se of progress for their alleged failure to provide a safe and properly maintained/inspected pool space.
The estate seeks at least $30,000 in damages for funeral expenses and emotional suffering. The plaintiff is represented by Morgan and Morgan Tampa PA of Tampa.