A pedestrian's encounter with a hazardous sidewalk has escalated into a legal battle that raises questions about public safety and municipal responsibility. Kenneth Shane filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on March 28, 2025, against the Town of Jupiter. The lawsuit alleges negligence and failure to maintain safe conditions on public sidewalks.
The case stems from an incident on November 12, 2023, when Shane was walking on Quarry Knoll Way near School House Road in Palm Beach County. He encountered a section of the sidewalk covered in a slippery organic substance such as mold or algae. This hazardous condition allegedly caused him to fall violently, resulting in significant injuries. According to the complaint, the Town of Jupiter had a duty to maintain its sidewalks safely and failed to do so. "Defendant knew or should have known about the existence of potentially hazardous sidewalk," states the filing.
Shane accuses the Town of Jupiter of multiple breaches of duty: failing to remove or remediate the hazardous condition promptly, not providing adequate warnings about it, and neglecting proper maintenance and inspection practices. These failures allegedly resulted in Shane suffering permanent injuries, including loss of bodily function and significant scarring. The complaint highlights Shane's ongoing pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses, and loss of earning capacity as consequences of this negligence.
In addition to negligence claims, Shane also charges the town with failing to warn pedestrians adequately about known dangers. The lawsuit asserts that despite having actual or constructive knowledge of the slippery conditions on its sidewalks, Jupiter did not place any signage or barriers to alert pedestrians like Shane. As a result, he demands judgment for damages exceeding $15,000 along with interest and costs.
The plaintiff seeks relief through compensatory damages for his injuries and losses incurred due to this incident. His attorney is Brooke Boltz from Boltz Legal based in Oviedo, Florida. The Case ID is 502025CA002918XXXAMB Div: AK.