A resident of Palm Beach County has filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and VGS Infrastructure Services, Inc., formerly known as Louis Berger Hawthorne Services, Inc., alleging negligence in maintaining a sidewalk that led to her injury. The complaint was filed by Lorraine Eventoff on June 11, 2024, in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida.
According to the court documents, Lorraine Eventoff claims that both FDOT and VGS failed to maintain a sidewalk near 4001 Florida A1A in Boca Raton, resulting in an unsafe condition that caused her to trip and fall on February 26, 2022. The plaintiff asserts that the sidewalk had an uneven surface with blocks displaced vertically by at least two inches. This hazardous condition allegedly led to her falling and sustaining significant injuries.
The lawsuit details how FDOT posted an advertisement on March 6, 2019, requesting proposals for a seven-year asset maintenance contract. This contract was awarded to Louis Berger Hawthorne Services Inc. on July 15, 2019. The company was responsible for maintaining sidewalks along the US1/A1A corridor, including state crossroads in St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward Counties. On December 7, 2023, Louis Berger Hawthorne Services Inc. changed its name to VGS Infrastructure Services Inc.
Eventoff contends that both defendants had non-delegable duties to ensure the premises were safe for public use but failed to do so. She claims that FDOT and VGS negligently maintained the sidewalk by not addressing or warning about the dangerous condition. Specific allegations include failing to monitor and inspect the premises adequately and not implementing proper inspection procedures to identify and fix such hazards.
The plaintiff is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 for bodily injury resulting in pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, medical expenses for hospitalization and treatment, and aggravation of a pre-existing condition. Eventoff's legal team demands judgment against both FDOT and VGS for these damages along with any further relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Lorraine Eventoff are attorneys Joshua Kaplan (Florida Bar No.: 1019227) and Brett Steinberg (Florida Bar No.: 11677) from Steinberg Law P.A., located at Delray Beach. The case is being presided over under Case Number: 502024CA005440XXXAMB Div: AN.