Kelley Kronenberg attorneys Vanessa Tobares and Doug Pegan secured the dismissal of a slip and fall lawsuit against their client, Tri-County Sweeping Services, Inc., within 20 days of the firm receiving the assignment. The case was pending in the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Florida.

The plaintiff alleged that he slipped and fell on wet paint on July 11, 2024, and claimed permanent injuries. He sued nine defendants, including the property owner, several tenants and commercial entities, and various service contractors. Tri-County Sweeping was one of them. With the claim pleaded in circuit court, the exposure was at least $50,000.00.

Vanessa and Doug moved quickly. Tri-County’s position was clear: it did not own, maintain, or control the property where the fall occurred and bore no liability for the plaintiff’s injuries. The firm also challenged the pleading itself. The complaint alleged the fall occurred somewhere on real property at 1900-1947 Cordova Road in Fort Lauderdale, with no further detail. That is a broad area shared by all nine defendants, and Tri-County could not prepare its defenses without knowing where the plaintiff fell. The complaint also did not allege a specific amount of damages, and the firm argued that the case belonged in county court, not circuit court. The firm filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and a motion for a more definite statement.

The plaintiff dismissed the claims against Tri-County Sweeping within 20 days of the assignment, before the case could develop into costly discovery.

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