In the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, plaintiffs Frances Di Paolo and Joseph Di Paolo have filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The case, identified as number 24-001345-CI, was filed on March 24, 2024.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred on May 18, 2022, when Frances Di Paolo was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, owned and operated by the defendant. The plaintiff alleges that there were no marked crosswalks or warning signs for motorists and pedestrians in the parking lot. Furthermore, she claims that the design of the parking lot created a dangerous condition due to obstructed sightlines caused by parked vehicles.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000 for permanent bodily injuries sustained by Frances Di Paolo as a result of the accident. They argue that the defendant failed to provide a safe means of ingress and egress from its parking area to its church and school and failed to correct or warn about the dangerous condition despite being aware of it.