Melvenia Horne has filed a lawsuit against a Florida-based corporation, alleging negligence after suffering injuries on their property. The complaint was lodged in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pinellas County, on October 28, 2024, naming Hallmark Development of Florida, Inc. as the defendant.
According to the court documents, Melvenia Horne was a business invitee at Hallmark Development's premises in Clearwater, Florida when she suffered injuries due to an improperly maintained sidewalk. The incident occurred on December 28, 2023. Horne claims that Hallmark Development failed in its duty to maintain the property safely and neglected to warn her about the hazardous condition of the sidewalk. The complaint details that this negligence led to Horne tripping and falling over a raised section of the sidewalk, resulting in significant physical harm.
Horne's legal team argues that Hallmark Development had an obligation to ensure their premises were safe for patrons and guests by regularly inspecting and maintaining them. They accuse Hallmark of allowing dangerous conditions to persist and failing to adopt business practices that would have identified and rectified such hazards promptly. "Defendant breached duties owed to Plaintiff," states the complaint, highlighting failures like not keeping the premises clear of dangers and not warning about known risks.
The plaintiff is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 for bodily injury and associated suffering. This includes compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of earnings capacity, mental anguish, and other related damages. Horne's attorneys are also demanding a jury trial for all issues triable under law.
Representing Melvenia Horne are attorneys Chad M. Pilon and Austin J. Chambers from Chambers|Pilon P.A., based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The case has been assigned Case Number 24-004723-ClI.